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Objective: This study addresses declining physical fitness among Korean firefighters due to a low exercise participation rate caused by the absence of exercise instructors. The research explores Virtual Mate (VM), a Kinect-based mixed reality device, as a potential solution, but its capacity to replace training instructors in enhancing physical fitness remains uncertain., Methods: Twenty Korean male firefighters were divided into two groups: the exercise group received an 8-week intervention using VM, while the control group maintained regular physical activity. Cardiopulmonary function and muscle function were measured., Results: After 8 weeks, the exercise group demonstrated a significant improvement in VO 2peak . Furthermore, there were notable enhancements in the strength and endurance of most knee, shoulder, and trunk flexors and extensors., Conclusions: Integrating VM into an exercise program can effectively improve cardiorespiratory and muscular function in Korean firefighters., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: None declared., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Introduction: Determining the exact weight of children is a challenging task during emergency situations. Current guidelines recommend the use of length-based weight-estimating tapes. However, healthcare providers must either always carry the tapes or take time to locate them. Moreover, they may not know how to use them. To address these issues, we developed an augmented reality smartphone application for length-based weight estimation called the Paediatric Augmented Reality Scale (PARS). We evaluated its performance and compared it to that of the Broselow tape (BT) and Paediatric Advanced Weight Prediction in the Emergency Room extra-long and extra-large (PAWPER-XL) tape methods., Method: A prospective, single-blinded cross-sectional study was conducted with children aged 1 month to 12 years who visited the emergency department of the tertiary university hospital in Bucheon, South Korea between July 2021 and February 2022. This study aimed to evaluate the measurement agreement and performance of 3 methods: BT, PAWPER-XL and PARS., Results: In all, 1090 participants were enrolled, and 639 (58.6%) were male. The mean age of the participants was 4.1 ± 2.8 years, with a mean height of 102.7 ± 21.7 cm and mean weight of 18.8 ± 9.5 kg. Compared to BT and PAWPER-XL, PARS exhibited lower mean absolute percentage error (9.60%) and root mean square percentage error (3.02%). PARS achieved a higher proportion of weights estimated within 10% of the actual weight (63.21%), outperform-ing BT (57.25%) and PAWPER-XL (62.47%). The intraclass correlation coefficients for the actual and estimated weights of BT, PAWPER-XL and PARS were 0.952, 0.969 and 0.973, respectively (P<0.001)., Conclusion: PARS exhibited a modestly better performance than BT and PAWPER-XL in estimating body weight. PARS-estimated body weights correlated fairly accurately with the actual body weights. PARS holds potential utility in paediatric emergencies.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of incorporating virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) programs into practical tests administered as part of the Korean Radiological Technologists Licensing Examination (KRTLE). This evaluation is grounded in a comprehensive survey that targeted enrolled students in departments of radiology across the nation., Methods: In total, 682 students from radiology departments across the nation were participants in the survey. An online survey platform was used, and the questionnaire was structured into 5 distinct sections and 27 questions. A frequency analysis for each section of the survey was conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 27.0., Results: Direct or indirect exposure to VR/AR content was reported by 67.7% of all respondents. Furthermore, 55.4% of the respondents expressed that VR/AR could be integrated into their classes, which signified a widespread acknowledgment of VR among the students. With regards to the integration of a VR/AR or mixed reality program into the practical tests for purposes of the KRTLE, a substantial amount of the respondents (57.3%) exhibited a positive inclination and recommended its introduction., Conclusion: The application of VR/AR programs within practical tests of the KRTLE will be used as an alternative for evaluating clinical examination procedures and validating job skills.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate medical and nursing students' satisfaction with their mixed reality (MR)-based online interprofessional learning experience in South Korea., Methods: This study used a case study design. A convenience sample of 30 participants (i.e., 15 third-year medical students and 15 fourth-year nursing students) participated in a 120-minute MR-based online interprofessional education (IPE) that consisted of visualization of holographic standardized patient with ischemic stroke, online interprofessional activity, and debriefing and reflection sessions. Following the MR-based online IPE, data were collected through Modified Satisfaction with Simulation Experience Scale survey and were analyzed using descriptive analyses and independent t-tests., Results: Although medical and nursing students were highly satisfied with MR-based online interprofessional learning experience, nursing students were significantly more satisfied with it compared with medical students., Conclusion: These results suggest that the integration of MR and online approach through the structured clinical reasoning process in undergraduate health professions programs can be used as an educational strategy to improve clinical reasoning and critical thinking and to promote interprofessional understanding.