Mulvey Explains Value of 3D-Printed Medical Training Models in Burlington Free Press Story
Laura Mulvey, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine, an emergency physician at UVM Medical Center (UVMMC) and UVM Health Network–Elizabethtown Community Hospital, was quoted in a Burlington Free Press story on how the UVMMC uses 3D printing to create low-cost medical training models for rural Vermont paramedics and EMTs.
In rural areas of the state, health care providers are called on infrequently to perform certain emergency procedures, making it difficult to hone their skills on the job. Clinical mannequins used for training are expensive. Printing the medical models in-house at UVMMC dramatically reduces the cost, allowing more providers to practice with them more often.
These models offer paramedics, emergency room doctors, and EMTs in rural Vermont more frequent practice opportunities for crucial, but infrequently performed, procedures. And the affordability of 3D printing allows models to be distributed to remote sites, enhancing training accessibility.
“We used to rely on semi-annual training sessions where providers might get one or two chances to practice a skill,” Mulvey said in a news release. “Now, with the low cost and accessibility of these models, rural health care practitioners can train as often as they need to, ensuring they’re fully prepared when faced with a real emergency.”