title: Virtual Disaster Simulation: Lesson Learned from an International Collaboration That Can Be Leveraged for Disaster Education in Iran.
abstract: Disaster education needs innovative educational methods to be more effective compared to traditional approaches. This can be done by using virtual simulation method. This article presents an experience about using virtual simulation methods to teach health professional on disaster medicine in Iran. The workshop on the "Application of New Technologies in Disaster Management Simulation" was held in Tehran in January 2015. It was co-organized by the Disaster and Emergency Health Academy of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Emergency and the Research Center in Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale. Different simulators were used by the participants, who were from the health system and other relevant fields, both inside and outside Iran. As a result of the workshop, all the concerned stakeholders are called on to support this new initiative of incorporating virtual training and exercise simulation in the field of disaster medicine, so that its professionals are endowed with field-based and practical skills in Iran and elsewhere. Virtual simulation technology is recommended to be used in education of disaster management. This requires capacity building of instructors, and provision of technologies. International collaboration can facilitate this process.
authors.affiliation: Disaster and Emergency Health Academy, National Institute of Health Research, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardalan
authors.affiliation: Disaster and Emergency Health Academy, National Institute of Health Research, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Joseph Kimuli
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Balikuddembe
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine(CRIMEDIM); Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ingrassia
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carenzo
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Della Corte
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbarisari
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Ahmadreza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djalali
keywords: Iran.; Virtual simulation; disaster management; education; training