Medical Simulation Center
About Medical Simulation
What is it? 
Medical simulation is the set-up, monitoring and review of a controlled
medical event, designed to educate health care providers and broaden
their experience with critical situations. Because simulations are
completely staged, participants are able to make mistakes and learn
from them without any risk to patients, and then use what they have
learned in real-life situations.
The future of medical education
The rapid rate of information growth, increased demands on physician
educators, and patient safety concerns have created a challenge
to the present model of hands-on training for health care personnel.
High fidelity medical simulation offers numerous benefits for patients,
trainees, as well as educators, and is becoming an integral tool
in the future of medical education.
High technology means realistic situations
Medical simulation technology allows for realistic clinical scenarios
using life-sized computerized patient manikins that are able to
respond in real-time to a variety of clinical interventions and
pharmacologic agents.
This type of technology offers medical educators a new way to control
situational learning. Some highlights:
- The computer-driven manikins range from $30,000 to $200,000
and are capable of verbal communication, accurate representation
of common physical exam findings (airway compromise, lung and
cardiac sounds, pulses etc), and physiologic responses to drug
and treatment interventions.
- Realistic representations of actual treatment settings allow
simulation participants to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves
in the training exercise.
- Participants involved in the simulation may include physicians,
nurses, allied health care personnel or multidisciplinary teams.
A history of success
Simulation training is well established in other complex, high-risk
industries such as aviation, nuclear power, and the military, all
of which are regarded as high reliability organizations. The use
of realistic high fidelity interactive patient simulators was pioneered
in anesthesia in the mid-1980s. However, only recently has simulation
technology come into more widespread use, and its full potential
for medical education has not yet been realized.
The goal of the Rhode Island Hospital Medical Simulation Center
is to actualize this potential and create a learning environment
which fosters the development of superior clinical skills without
risk to patients.
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