Cultural considerations in biometric-driven healthcare simulation

Abstract

Healthcare simulation is increasingly adopting biometric monitoring to enhance learning outcomes, yet current implementations predominantly reflect western physiological norms and stress responses. This presents significant challenges in diverse Australasian healthcare contexts where students and practitioners represent multiple cultural backgrounds with varying manifestations of stress, decision-making patterns, and learning preferences. This position paper examines the critical gap between culturally neutral biometric systems and culturally responsive educational practice, proposing a comprehensive methodological framework for developing inclusive adaptive simulation environments that recognise cultural diversity in physiological responses and learning behaviours through systematic participatory design approaches.