SBIR Phase I: Using Immersive Virtual Reality For High-Quality Training to Caregivers Working With Seniors

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将有助于老年护理人员通过新的虚拟现实（VR）最佳地理解和应对老年人的认知变化，该项目将产生高质量，有效的培训模块，帮助老年护理人员最佳地理解和应对老年人的认知变化。这将提高他们的护理人员的能力，信心和动力，并有助于减少员工流失。该解决方案将使护理人员能够有效地满足老年人的需求，提高老年人的生活质量，促进“就地养老，“从而有助于提高老年人口的福祉，减轻老龄化的社会成本。这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目解决了开发VR内容的技术挑战，这些内容有效地促进了护理人员的知识获取、技能发展和动机提高，同时保持训练经历相对简短和有效。与简单的记忆信息不同，积极的心理结果，如增强的动力，是具有挑战性的。该项目将在VR培训的关键点上战略性地采用电影导演技术-这是VR培训的一种新方法。该解决方案利用认知神经科学的学习原理，在VR内容设计、分析和交付方面实现创新。研究目标包括：（1）构建一个以教授同情心和沟通技巧为中心的引人入胜的VR培训模块，并通过电影导演元素进行增强，（2）评估所开发内容的可用性和可行性，以实现短期和长期的预期成果，（3）构建和评估一个以教授高级护理人员观察和行为技能为中心的VR培训模块，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be significant for helping senior caregivers optimally understand and respond to cognitive changes in older adults through a new Virtual Reality (VR) The project will result in a high-quality, effective training module for helping senior caregivers optimally understand and respond to cognitive changes in older adults. This will enhance the competence, confidence, and motivation of their nursing staff, and help reduce staff turnover. The solution will empower caregivers to effectively attend to the needs of the elderly in a way that enhances seniors’ quality-of-life and facilitates ‘aging in place,’ hence contributing towards increasing well-being among the elderly population and alleviating the societal costs of aging.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the technical challenge of developing VR content that effectively promotes caregiver knowledge acquisition, skill development, and motivation increases, while keeping the training experience relatively brief and efficient. Unlike simple memorization of information, positive psychological outcomes like enhanced motivation are challenging to generate. This project will strategically employ cinematic directing techniques at key points in the VR training - a new approach to VR training. The solution leverages principles from the cognitive neuroscience of learning to deliver innovations in VR content design, analysis and delivery. Research objectives include: (1) building an engaging VR training module centered around teaching empathy and communication skills, which is enhanced with cinematic directing elements, (2) assessing the usability and feasibility of the developed content for achieving the desired outcomes in the short- and long-term, (3) building and assessing a VR training module centered around teaching observation and behavioral skills to senior caregivers, which includes embedded interactive testing elements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.