The Use of Medical Simulation to Improve Patient Safety

Abstract

In healthcare, medical simulation describes a heterogeneous group of methods that aim to replicate some aspect of clinical care. This chapter discusses the extent to which simulation is being used to explore facets of patient safety from the design of specific devices that are being used in the context of clinical work, to the broader organizational design of systems. The most commonly associated aspect of medical simulation is the education of clinicians in relation to improving patient safety. Few studies have attempted to examine how simulation education can affect patient safety; however, there is an emerging body of evidence that simulation training, particularly with regard to the training of teams, can have a positive effect on patient safety outcomes. The barriers commonly incurred with the implementation of simulation training warrant exploration and discussion so that an informed and strategic approach is adopted to allow the future direction of medical simulation in healthcare to be educationally sound and financially sustainable.