Emory, Relias, and InceptionXR Collaborate To Improve Infection Prevention and Control in New CDC Initiative

Delivering on their commitment to provide healthcare workers with better learning methodologies, Emory University’s Healthcare Human Factors Lab (HHFL), Relias, and Inception XR are partnering to jointly support Project Firstline, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Training Collaborative for Healthcare Infection Control. The partnership will leverage vast experience, market access, and effective learning technology for a dedicated nurses’ infection control training program, with the goal of significantly reducing the burden on patients, communities, and caregivers caused by healthcare-associated infections.

“We are delighted to support advanced technology initiatives into healthcare and education training, as part of our mission statement, especially in infection control, where they can make a dramatic difference in both outcomes and healthcare teams’ best practices” said Lora Sparkman, RN, BSN, MHA, Patient Safety and Quality Executive, at Relias.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the extent to which healthcare settings can contribute to the spread of infections, harming patients and healthcare personnel. More than 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur in the U.S. each year, resulting in more than 99,000 annual deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched Project Firstline, a transformational initiative for infection prevention and control (IPC) training and education for millions of frontline healthcare workers in the United States.

The CDC’s mission is to provide innovative and accessible IPC training for frontline healthcare workers. To advance this mission, Emory University’s HHFL, Relias, and Inception XR will improve clinical outcomes by embedding key elements of IPC protocols for a wide range of healthcare professionals in a compelling, multi-sensory immersive experience. IPC is essential to ensure safe healthcare and the key is to follow best practices consistently and confidently by caregivers. Inception XR’s technology platform was chosen to accelerate nurses’ acquisition of knowledge and increase daily application in a clinical setting whilst reducing training costs and enhancing ease of deployment.

“This is a highly strategic project for us, leveraging insights into IPC practices we have gained as a Project Firstline partner, market access, and cutting-edge technology to ultimately support infection prevention in any medical setting,” said Joel Mumma, PhD, Research Director of the HHFL.

With this joint project, the companies will be able to validate the value of their technology in the healthcare industry and generate an evidence base for future expansion in this field, while developing additional content and products that support better care. This is the first milestone in a comprehensive and scalable healthcare personnel immersive learning model, in collaboration with respected partners such as the Emory University’s HHFL. The HHFL has conducted standardized inpatient care simulations with nurses to understand the cognitive processes that underlie successful and unsuccessful IPC practices, with the purpose of developing methodologies for assessing and training IPC competencies. Acknowledging the need for an innovative, advanced immersive learning solution, HHFL will support InceptionXR technology implementation, addressing one of the most complicated problems of healthcare in the United States. InceptionXR has also partnered with Relias, the trusted education and development partner to more than 11,000 healthcare organizations worldwide and a U.S. market leader in designing, delivering, and scaling industry-standardized, psychometrically-validated assessments with personalized learning, and professional development education solutions for healthcare practitioners. Both InceptionXR and Relias are a part of the Bertelsmann Group, the German media and education conglomerate, thus combining deep healthcare experience and market reach with cutting edge technology to deliver improved learning outcomes.

Phase I of the year-long project launched in October 2022, during which time the infection assessment simulation will be evaluated by the HHFL, as well as piloted in five additional U.S. healthcare systems. Following the successful completion of Phase I, Emory aims to support the distribution of the IPC assessment simulation to hospitals across the United States.

“We’re honored to be chosen by Emory to support better training and best practices, and thankful for the opportunity to demonstrate our groundbreaking technology in healthcare to truly make a difference in patient wellbeing.” Benny Arbel, Chief Executive Officer, InceptionXR

About Emory University’s Healthcare Human Factors Lab

Dedicated to a human-centered healthcare system designed by the people who use it, HHFL improves the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of healthcare through human factors-based research, training, evaluation, and design.

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About InceptionXR

InceptionXR is dedicated to empowering caregivers with improved training through Virtual and Extended Reality (VR/XR) immersive learning, increasing educational and clinical outcomes and reducing associated cost. InceptionXR educational immersive products support millions of users globally across the K-12, telecommunications, healthcare, and publishing industries.

Disclaimer: This project is supported via Emory University sub-contract to the organizations identified within. Emory University is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award (CDC-RFA-CK19-1905). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

For more information: www.inceptionxr.com