WATERTOWN, Mass., Feb. 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Exergen Corporation announced its Virtual Classroom, a technological approach to training medical staff on the clinical science and proper use of temporal artery thermometry, is now available in 12 languages. The Virtual Classroom offers a multilingual, computerized educational demonstration with avatars substituted for real people to depict familiar clinician scenarios.
Thorough and comprehensive training for new medical technology can carry substantial cost and time constraints for healthcare facilities, practitioners and long term care locations. Temporal artery thermometers (TAT) are utilized on a daily basis by millions of doctors, nurses and caregivers across the globe. In the past, training materials for these types of medical devices have primarily taken the form of printed educational materials and personal in-servicing. These techniques often fail to capture the attention of trainees and require additional, expensive follow-up.
"The medical community is captivated by the avatars in realistic situations we use in our Virtual Classroom, which means training sessions are more efficient and take less time," said Dr. Frank Pompei, CEO, Exergen Corporation. "Offering the engaging training video in 12 languages allows focused training worldwide on an individual basis or for group sessions, saving a healthcare facility time and money."
In a trial of the digital training, one thousand nurses and patient care associates were trained on temporal artery thermometry by viewing the Virtual Classroom on a large projection screen. One hundred percent of the attendees passed the subsequent written competency exam and 99.9 percent passed the product usage demonstration on the first attempt. In contrast, initial pass rates on personal in-servicing can run as low as 50 percent.
The Exergen Virtual Classroom can also be easily updated to include new training, products and methods. A flash version is available at http://www.exergen.com/ww/index.htm, allowing users to choose their language of choice. High resolution CDs and DVDs can be requested by emailing medical@exergen.com.
Exergen Corporation is recognized worldwide as an innovator and leading manufacturer of non-invasive thermometry systems for industry and medicine for both professionals and consumers. The TemporalScanner™ produces an estimated $50 million in direct cost savings and 5,000 tons of waste reduction annually for healthcare institutions. Further, a recent independent study reported that TAT saves 87 percent of nursing time used for taking temperature. With more than 40 published studies attesting to its accuracy across all ages and clinical settings, it has become the standard for thermometry in thousands of healthcare facilities. For additional information, visit www.exergen.com.
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