Pictorial Representations of Medical Procedures to Train for Effective Recall (PROMPTER)

Improved first aid training tools and rehearsal methodologies based on visual learning and recall represent a promising approach to reducing battlefield fatalities. To support visual learning of first aid skills, we will design and demonstrate Pictorial Representations of Medical Procedures to Train for Effective Recall (PROMPTER). Four major components comprise our PROMPTER approach. First, we will design an intuitive, standardized symbology for the individual first aid actions, or subtasks, that comprise the complex emergency medical procedures of the Soldier’s Manual of Common Tasks, Warrior Skills, Level 1 (STP 21-1-SMCT). Second, we will incorporate sets of these first aid subtask symbols within a pictorial mnemonic framework to visually represent each of the seventeen procedures in STP-21-SMCT. Third, we will design and demonstrate adaptive, microgame-based training methods that leverage these pictorial mnemonic training materials. These microgames will present tasks and challenges relevant to procedural skill acquisition and retention, using engaging gameplay mechanisms that are continually tailored to individual Soldiers’ evolving training needs. Fourth, we will develop a human performance-based evaluation plan to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of these pictorial mnemonic training materials and methods, including their impact on skill acquisition and retention over time.