Using simulation-based training to improve patient safety: what does it take?
BACKGROUND
Through simulations health care workers can learn by practicing skills taught and experiencing mistakes before interacting with an actual patient. A number of areas within the health care industry are currently using simulation-based training to help individuals and teams improve patient safety. WHAT IS SIMULATION-BASED TRAINING? The key components of simulation-based training are as follows: performance history/skill inventory, tasks/competencies, training objectives, events/exercises, measures/metrics, performance diagnosis, and feedback and debrief. WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR SIMULATION-BASED TRAINING TO BE EFFECTIVE? To be effective, simulation-based training must be implemented appropriately. The guidelines are as follows: understand the training needs and requirements; instructional features, such as performance measurement and feedback, must be embedded within the simulation; craft scenarios based on guidance from the learning outcomes; create opportunities for assessing and diagnosing individual and/or team performance within the simulation; guide the learning; focus on cognitive/psychological simulation fidelity; form a mutual partnership between subject matter experts and learning experts; and ensure that the training program worked.


CONCLUSIONS
The health care community can gain significantly from using simulation-based training to reduce errors and improve patient safety when it is designed and delivered appropriately.
Salas
Eduardo
E
Department of Psychology and Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA. esalas@ist.ucf.edu
Wilson
Katherine A
KA
Burke
C Shawn
CS
Priest
Heather A
HA
D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods*; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D016544:Patient Simulation; D017751:Safety Management; D014481:United States