Reality-Based Patient Care Problems in Simulated Environments
The Center for Patient Simulation at University of Utah Health has been in operation since 1997. The highly realistic adult and pediatric human simulators and simulated clinical environment are used to provide a immersive learning experience for health care providers.
Our facility provides a setting in which health care workers can improve their skills by experiencing reality-based patient-care problems in a range of simulated environments. We provide digital video recording that allows for review, assessing competency, and critiquing of personal and group performances.
Our simulation program has three components:
- Teaching for residents and medical students
- Recertification for ACLS and moderate sedation for clinicians hospital wide
- Research
Research
Scientific research in the simulation center is also a key activity. Over the last several years, research activities have focused on education, patient monitoring, and medical device development. Extramural support from the NIH, NASA, US Army, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and the Department of Anesthesiology have supported many of these projects. Researchers from our department have teamed up with education specialists from the Department of Psychology to develop many of the study protocols.
Some of the project topics include (1) a computer based mentor for respiratory support during Basic Life Saving for astronauts, (2) a study of new patient monitoring systems for the battlefield, (3) a study of data presentation to enhance the titration of medication and interpretation of cardiovascular and pulmonary states, (4) exploration of novel approaches for first year anesthesia resident education regarding management of adverse airway and respiratory events and (5) development of a real-time drug display that allows clinicians to visualize drug effect over time.