Clinical trial NCT06974708: Interactive Virtual Occupational Safety Training Designed for Home Healthcare Workers
Official title: Interactive Virtual Occupational Safety Training Designed With and for Ohio Home Healthcare Workers and Agencies
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Learning
Keywords: home healthcare
training
occupational safety
Lead sponsor: Ohio State University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: The University of Kansas Medical Center
name: Virginia Commonwealth University
First posted: 2025-05-16
Enrollment: 24
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Overview. The investigators will collect preliminary data on the extent to which the knowledge gained from the enhanced HH-VSTS transfers to a real-world environment. Following abbreviated use of the enhanced HH-VSTS, participants will perform a walk-through of a realistic environment to assess their learning.

Detailed description: The pilot test will use a quasi-experimental design with between groups and within subjects features to evaluate the generalizability of the enhanced HH-VSTS to a home setting. Participants will complete one of the three training modules in the HH-VSTS and then perform an actual walk-through of a simulated home setting during which they will be asked to identify any hazard that they think they recognize. The simulated home setting is a furnished apartment in Atwell Hall that is used for training OT and PT students. The primary outcome is Learning Transfer, assessed by hazard identification. The secondary outcome is the hazard response.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* have no formal training in home safety, and
* ≥18 years old, and
* able to read and write in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participant in a prior study about home healthcare worker occupational safety training
* Individuals who meet criteria for Pre-existing Conditions Related to Cybersickness (a set of 4 screening questions)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Learning transfer as measured by hazard identification
timeFrame: immediately after exposure to the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Hazard Response
timeFrame: immediately after exposure to the intervention
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Columbus
country: United States
facility: The Ohio State University
state: Ohio
Study officials:
References:
citation: Darragh AR, Lavender S, Polivka B, Sommerich CM, Wills CE, Hittle BA, Chen R, Stredney DL. Gaming Simulation as Health and Safety Training for Home Healthcare Workers. Clin Simul Nurs. 2016 Aug;12(8):328-335. doi: 10.1016/j.ecns.2016.03.006. No abstract available.
citation: Polivka BJ, Anderson S, Lavender SA, Sommerich CM, Stredney DL, Wills CE, Darragh AR. Efficacy and Usability of a Virtual Simulation Training System for Health and Safety Hazards Encountered by Healthcare Workers. Games Health J. 2019 Apr;8(2):121-128. doi: 10.1089/g4h.2018.0068. Epub 2018 Sep 19.
citation: Polivka BJ, Wills CE, Darragh A, Lavender S, Sommerich C, Stredney D. Environmental Health and Safety Hazards Experienced by Home Health Care Providers: A Room-by-Room Analysis. Workplace Health Saf. 2015 Nov;63(11):512-22; quiz 523. doi: 10.1177/2165079915595925. Epub 2015 Aug 12.
citation: Czuba LR, Sommerich CM, Lavender SA. Ergonomic and safety risk factors in home health care: Exploration and assessment of alternative interventions. Work. 2012;42(3):341-53. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2012-1433.
citation: Wills CE, Polivka BJ, Darragh A, Lavender S, Sommerich C, Stredney D. "Making Do" Decisions: How Home Healthcare Personnel Manage Their Exposure to Home Hazards. West J Nurs Res. 2016 Apr;38(4):411-26. doi: 10.1177/0193945915618950. Epub 2015 Dec 14.