Development of an Automated and Scalable Virtual Assistant to Aid in PPE Adherence and Clinical Protocols for Healthcare Worker Safety

The COVID virus is acquired through droplet and micro droplet transmission. Although healthcare workers must adhere to strict up-to-date clinical procedures to minimize exposure to the virus and avoid contamination, the assumption that everyone can precisely remember every step is improbable as many of these procedures are quite complex and involve multiple steps in stressful situations. Further the use of a trained safety officer to ensure adherence is not always feasible due to the ever growing demand of healthcare providers. Investigators propose to utilize the Amazon Alexa device and Alexa Skills application to develop a voice enabled virtual assistant to guide healthcare professionals through the exact steps of clinical procedures including the donning and doffing of PPE, intubation and extubation procedures.

Methods A total of 10 staff anesthesiologists will be recruited to participate in phase 1 of the study to evaluate the utility and functionality of this VA device.

A total of 40 healthcare professionals will be recruited to participate in phase 2 of the study. Anesthesia providers (staff and fellows), anesthesia assistants, respiratory assistants and operating room nurses will be randomized to receive instructional guidance by the VA on one test occasion and a human coach on another occasion. During this phase of the study, the effectiveness of this VA prototype will be compared with a trained human safety officer / coach in its ability to provide instructional guidance for 4 safety and clinical procedures: 1) proper donning of personal protective equipment (PPE); 2) doffing of PPE; 3) intubation (putting in a breathing tube) and 4) extubation (taking out a breathing tube).