INTRODUCTION
Outbreaks of cholera, Ebola, and COVID‑19 continue to kill hundreds of thousands—overwhelming under-resourced systems. Rapidly deployable treatment centers are essential tools to contain and treat infectious diseases in vulnerable communities.
Infectious Disease Treatment Modules (IDTMs) are mobile and rapidly deployable healthcare facilities designed to safely and effectively treat patients with highly contagious diseases, making them ideal for emergency response in low-resource or remote settings. Both are equipped with advanced infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, isolation zones, and specialized medical equipment to protect patients and healthcare workers. These facilities play a vital role in containing outbreaks, preventing further transmission, and maintaining essential health services during health emergencies.
Training for staff working in these facilities is essential. It ensures that healthcare workers understand how to properly use personal protective equipment (PPE), follow isolation protocols, and manage patients safely and effectively—reducing the risk of infection to themselves and others. Without proper training, even well-equipped centers cannot function safely or efficiently.
Background
The Humanitarian Engineering Research Group collaborates with WHO - Téchne. Téchne is a multidisciplinary WHO network of universities, institutions, NGOs, and field experts in architecture, engineering, public health, and social sciences who respond to country needs, support community-based system changes, and promote innovation, education, and advocacy. Their goal is to help create safer, fairer, and more sustainable health and care systems through integrated, locally informed solutions.
PROJECT PROGRESS
In April 2024, Téchne and University of Twente have started collaborating on the IDTM to improve rapid deployment and staff trainings. By the summer of 2025, the project has evolved to include three key components, all of which remain works in progress.
1. Enhancing Outbreak Response Infrastructure and Containment Safety
This component supports the WHO/WFP INITIATE initiative by addressing two urgent needs in the deployment of infectious disease treatment facilities:
- Improving the Assembly Efficiency of Health Infrastructure:
Streamline the setup process of treatment centers during epidemic outbreaks to reduce response time and operational delays in the field. - Redesign of the Glove Interface in Containment Zones:
Develop an improved interchangeable glove system that allows safe and ergonomic replacement from the clean zone, ensuring protection of personnel and reducing the risk of cross-contamination when handling infectious samples.
2. Development of the Outbreak Response Game: Design, Build, Cure
- As part of training efforts for staff involved in deploying IDTMs, a hands-on educational serious game was designed to supplement the practical training offered by WHO - Téchne. The game walks players through the core stages of Treatment Center deployment, including preparation, site assessment, infrastructure layout, and operational logistics. Players engage with real-world constraints, such as limited resources, terrain challenges, and infection control protocols, simulating the complexities of making rapid and informed decisions in outbreak settings.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF AN Immersive VR Game Design for IDTM OPERATIONS Training
This component uses virtual reality to train healthcare staff in infection prevention protocols and realistic outbreak scenarios when deployed in an IDTM:
- 3D IDTM Model and Patient Flow Simulation:
Build a detailed virtual model of the IDTM and simulate patient movement to reflect operational logistics and design functionality. - Transparent Screen Medical Scenario:
Build a training scenario of a medical situation in the VR environment, to train staff in safe and effective communication and medical procedures using the transparent screen between patients and workers. - Dead Body Management Scenario:
Build a training scenario of a logistical situation in the VR envrionment, to prepare staff for high-risk protocols involved in the respectful and safe movement of deceased patients, emphasizing IPC compliance.
PROJECT MEMBERS
The project is part of the BSc thesis in Industrial Design Engineering of Giorgos Kalaitzian (component 1), Paula Santomé Lorenzo (component 1), Twan de Ham (componen 2), Federica Rovati (component 3), and Carmen Sanz Valero (component 3), and part of the MSc Capita Selecta in Industrial Design Engineering of Lyanne Veen (component 3).
INFORMATION
For more information: Dr. Alberto Martinetti (a.martinetti@utwente.nl)