The time-course of visual scanning behaviour of paramedicine students upon arrival at a simulated emergency call

Background

Limited knowledge exists regarding how paramedics acquire an understanding of the scene they encounter upon arrival, despite their need to quickly gather information for effective clinical decision-making. This study examined visual scanning behaviour during the early stages of simulated emergency calls.

Methods

Eye movements of 10 paramedicine students were recorded during simulated calls conducted in both a high-fidelity classroom setting and a full sensory immersion setting.

Results

Students focused on similar areas in both settings, with most time spent looking at the patient rather than distractors such as room features or other people. Analysis of gaze behaviour across the first five minutes revealed a more nuanced pattern: attention initially gravitated towards distractors but decreased as students became familiar with their surroundings and focused on the task at hand. This pattern was consistent across both simulation settings, indicating that information-seeking strategies may be independent of scene complexity.

Conclusions

Expertise relies on the ability to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information. Given the unpredictable nature of their work, paramedics must continuously adapt their understanding of a scene from the moment they enter it. Understanding how this skill develops may help identify expert strategies to inform training of novice paramedics.