Introduction

Management of pediatric trauma is an essential skill in Emergency Medicine, especially critical as trauma-related injuries are the leading cause of death in patients aged 1-18 years [1]. Despite this, pediatric trauma cases occur less frequently than in the adult population, limiting resident exposure and opportunities to acquire, practice, and retain essential skills and knowledge [2-4]. Medical simulation has subsequently played a significant role in improving education on pediatric trauma management; however, it requires specialized equipment, space, personnel, and careful coordination of learner and facilitator schedules, often creating logistical barriers to implementation [3,5,6].

Virtual Reality (VR) has been shown to be an innovative and valuable tool in medical education. Like simulation, VR provides learners with an immersive, realistic, and interactive experience to practice a range of technical and non-technical clinical skills. It has been widely used in surgical and procedural training to practice skills without risk of harm to patients, as well as teaching scenarios that are too difficult or costly to replicate, such as mass casualty incidents [7-13]. Additional advantages include asynchronous learning opportunities (removing the need to coordinate learner and facilitator schedules, equipment, and space) and the ability for repeated exposure to rare clinical events.

Despite growing interest in VR-based medical education, evidence supporting its use in pediatric trauma training remains limited. Most VR-based trauma education studies have focused on adult trauma scenarios, while pediatric specific applications remain scarce [14-16]. Recent reviews have highlighted a paucity of evidence examining VR-based pediatric trauma education, particularly among resident learners, and have identified a need for scalable educational approaches that can supplement simulation experiences [17-19].

One challenge to broader adoption of VR in medical education is the cost and complexity associated with accessing fully immersive, interactive, and relevant VR scenarios. Creation of these experiences often requires collaboration with software developers and graphic designers [18,20]. In contrast, 360-degree video offers a more accessible and lower-cost alternative by using a 360-degree camera to capture real clinical scenarios that can be viewed with VR headsets. This approach preserves many of the immersive benefits of VR while requiring fewer technical and financial resources, making it a potentially practical tool for residency education [19,21-25].

However, the use of 360-degree video for pediatric trauma education has received minimal investigation. While it has shown promise in other areas of healthcare education, published studies have largely focused on feasibility, immersion, and learner engagement, with little attention to pediatric trauma or resident-specific training [19,21]. To our knowledge, no published studies have specifically evaluated the use of 360-degree video as an educational modality for pediatric trauma resuscitation among pediatric and emergency medicine resident physicians. Furthermore, a recent systematic review found that most VR education studies evaluate learner reactions and knowledge acquisition, with limited evidence regarding optimal implementation strategies and educational contexts, underscoring the need for early studies examining novel VR approaches in pediatric trauma education [26]. Our objective was to incorporate a 360-degree video pediatric trauma resuscitation experience into resident education and evaluate learner perceptions regarding its usability, educational value, and potential role within pediatric trauma training curricula.