Disaster-Town: Assessing the Efficacy of a Virtual Platform in Disaster Medicine Training for Medical Students

Introduction: Disaster Medicine training can be resource-intensive and difficult to reproduce on a large scale. This study explored the use of an online open-source platform, GatherTown, in Disaster Medicine training for medical students. The maps provided were modified to recreate a disaster zone with multiple casualties and hazardous elements. The hypothesis was that this platform would be an effective teaching method and help in knowledge application. Methods: Medical students from all three medical schools in Singapore were recruited. Those who consented to participate were sent a pre-test questionnaire. Students watched a standardized, prerecorded Introduction to Disaster Medicine video. They then worked together in teams with facilitators to triage and treat 30 casualties in a virtual mass casualty setting. A post-test questionnaire was then sent; this included 10 questions that assessed the students’ knowledge of key elements of disaster management. Pre- and post-test results were matched and analyzed. Results: A total of 43 medical students participated across 2 sessions in 2024. 17 (39.5%) were Year 1 students, 5 (11.6%) Year 2, 8 (18.6%) Year 3, 12 (27.9%) Year 4, and 1 (2.3%) was a Year 5 student. The average pre- and post-test scores were 52.3% and 66.5%, respectively, with an average increase of 14.2% (0.89-1.94 95% Confidence Interval), p < 0.001. 29 (67%) students improved, while 3 had lower scores and 11 had the same score. Students felt that the scenario-based virtual game helped facilitate learning of Mass Casualty Incident principles (4.88/5), was interactive and informative (4.91/5), and improved their understanding of disaster triage (4.91/5). Conclusion: The virtual platform Disaster-Town shows promise and may have future applications in training medical students in Disaster Medicine.