Introduction:Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of sudden death worldwide. Effective prehospital interventions and care play a vital role in saving patients’ lives. Training emergency medical technicians (EMTs) through innovative methods such as virtual education can enhance their ability to respond promptly and accurately in critical situations.
Objective:This study aimed to examine the effect of virtual training in the prehospital management of cardiac patients on the knowledge and practical skills of EMTs.
Methods:This quasi-experimental study with a pre-test–post-test design was conducted on two groups: an intervention group (virtual training) and a control group (face-to-face training), involving 64 emergency medical services (EMS) experts at Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, a 30-item multiple-choice knowledge test, and a validated and reliable skill checklist for cardiac patient management in the form of a mega-scenario consisting of 42 items across eight domains. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 with independent t-test and paired t-test.
Results:The results showed that in both groups, knowledge and skill scores increased significantly after the intervention (P<0.001). However, in the between-group comparison, no significant difference was observed in knowledge levels between the face-to-face training group (control) and the virtual training group (intervention) (p> 0.05). Regarding skills, the between-group comparison indicated that the scores of the face-to-face training group were significantly higher than those of the virtual training group (p=0.01).
Conclusion:The findings of this study indicated that both face-to-face and virtual training significantly improved the knowledge and skills of emergency medical services personnel in managing cardiac patients. However, while no difference was observed between the two methods in enhancing knowledge, face-to-face training proved to be more effective in improving practical skills. These results highlight the importance of the practical nature of clinical skills and underscore the need for blended or interactive approaches in virtual training.