Training and simulation for patient safety

The international journal of healthcare improvement Qual Saf Health Care 2010;19:i34-i43 doi:10.1136/qshc.2009.038562 OPEN ACCESS Rajesh Aggarwal1, Oliver T Mytton2, Milliard Derbrew3, David Hananel4, Mark Heydenburg5, Barry Issenberg6, Catherine MacAulay7, Mary Elizabeth Mancini8, Takeshi Morimoto9, Nathaniel Soper10, Amitai Ziv11, Richard Reznick12

1Division of Surgery, Imperial College London, UK

2Department of Health, London, UK

3Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

4Medical Education Training International, Sarasota, Florida, USA

5Medical Equipment Services, International Aid, Spring Lake, Michigan, USA

6University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA

7Joint Commission International, Oak Brook, Illinois, USA

8School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA

9Center for Medical Education, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan

10Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA

11Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

12Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Correspondence to Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, Division of Surgery, Imperial College London, 10th Floor, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Building, St Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, UK; rajesh.aggarwal{at}imperial.ac.ukBackground Simulation-based medical education enables knowledge, skills and attitudes to be acquired for all healthcare professionals in a safe, educationally orientated and efficient manner. Procedure-based skills, communication, leadership and team working can be learnt, be measured and have the potential to be used as a mode of certification to become an independent practitioner.

Results Simulation-based training initially began with life-like manikins and now encompasses an entire range of systems, from synthetic models through to high fidelity simulation suites. These models can also be used for training in new technologies, for the application of existing technologies to new environments and in prototype testing. The level of simulation must be appropriate to the learners' needs and can range from focused tuition to mass trauma scenarios. The development of simulation centres is a global phenomenon which should be encouraged, although the facilities should be used within appropriate curricula that are methodologically sound and cost-effective.

Discussion A review of current techniques reveals that simulation can successfully promote the competencies of medical expert, communicator and collaborator. Further work is required to develop the exact role of simulation as a training mechanism for scholarly skills, professionalism, management and health advocacy.

Funding The project was funded by WHO Patient Safety.

Competing interests None.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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