APTIMA INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A234-009

Description

The average male Soldier is 5 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than the average female. Males have greater muscle mass whereas females have greater amounts of subcutaneous fat. These differences can make it difficult for medics to palpate critical anatomical landmarks on females, particularly if they have only practiced on males. Moreover, differences in sex hormones significantly affect pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, thereby making it difficult to generalize drug dosages from males to females. Unfortunately, the Army’s one-size-fits-all approach to Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) training largely ignores these anatomical and physiological differences. It is not surprising, therefore, that female Soldiers experience comparatively worse medical outcomes than males. Aptima and SIMETRI propose to design and develop Learning Enablers for Female Trauma Training (LEFT-T), which will supplement the work of other performers who are focusing on manikin development. LEFT-T will take a science of learning approach that (1) addresses both the affective/motivational and knowledge/skills challenges when treating wounded female Soldiers, thereby allowing learners to make the best use of the limited-availability, full mission simulation; and (2) streamlines the process of performance assessment, data integration, visualization, and documentation, thereby freeing instructors to spend more time teaching.