Medical Simulation - Modern Medical Simulation

Modern Medical Simulation

The American Board of Emergency Medicine employs the use of medical simulation technology in order to accurately judge students by using "patient scenarios" during oral board examinations. However, these forms of simulation are a far cry from high fidelity models that have surfaced since the 1990s.

Due to the fact that computer simulation technology is still relatively new relative to flight and military simulators, there is still much research to be done about the best way to approach medical training through simulation. That said, successful strides are being made in terms of medical education and training. A thorough amount of studies has have shown that students engaged in medical simulation training have overall higher scores and retention rates than those trained through traditional means.

The Council of Residency Directors (CORD) has established the following recommendations for simulation

1. Simulation is a useful tool for training residents and in ascertaining competency. The core competencies most conducive to simulation-based training are patient care, interpersonal skills, and systems based practice.
2. It is appropriate for performance assessment but there is a scarcity of evidence that supports the validity of simulation in the use for promotion or certification.
3. There is a need for standardization and definition in using simulation to evaluate performance.
4. Scenarios and tools should also be formatted and standardized such that EM educators can use the data and count on it for reproducibility, reliability and validity.

The Association of Surgeons in Training has produced recommendations for the introduction, availability and role of simulation in surgical training