Simulation Technology in Anesthesiology.

Abstract

A simulator is a device or software program that is gy.7-9 Nursing and other medical personnel such as car1id designed to reproduce or represent effects simudiac perfusionists are utilizing simulation technologies in lating phenomena likely to occur in reality. Perhaps the their curricula.10,11 Anesthesiology, which has often used most familiar simulator is the flight simulator, which acthe aviation model in the discussion of critical incidents, curately replicates the look and feel of an airplane cockhas been a driving force in the medical community in pit. Using a flight simulator, a pilot may practice takeintroducing realistic, complex simulation concepts.12 offs, landings, navigation procedures, and critical inciDental sedation/anesthesia practice, with its emphadents without risk to passengers, crew, or expensive airsis on perioperative critical event training, the treatment craft. Simulation technology has become an important of the complex emergency patient, and the developeducational tool in many complex, high-risk, dynamic ment of emergency algorithms, may greatly benefit environments such as the nuclear power and petroleum from the inclusion of simulation technology in training industries, the military, law enforcement, and especially, programs as well as part of continuing education initiain aviation, automotive, and space travel.' Simulators tive for oral and maxillofacial surgeons and dentist anreduce the financial cost of testing and training personesthesiologists. nel and reduce the risk to human life. With production pressures in medical/dental education that limit instruction time and patient availability, the expanding algoBACKGROUND rithms for patient diagnosis and management, and the major advances in computer and simulation technology, the~ ~ ~~~~~~. meia edcto comnt'sbginn orc No matter what type of simulator technology is emognize thed potentialufcsiation co neptsnad t rechployed, two important concepts must be strictly adhered ognize he potential of s mulation concepts an tech . 2 to in order for the experience to be valid and relevantSimulation strategies span the entire gamut of medithe fidelity and the presentation of the simulation. Ficldaofmimulation laboratore to strengten delity is how closely the simulation actually replicates the medical student skills in patient examination3 tothe deactual clinical event. The higher the fidelity of a simuvelopment and implementation of standardized patients lation, the more the simulator mirrors reality. The repused as simulators to assess clinical performance by the resentation of the simulator is the summation of its outEducational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduputs and is what actually constitutes the simulated event. ates.4 Simulation technology is at the forefront in introRepresentation may be accomplished via computerducing and expanding revolutionary endoscopic and based simulators with data presented on the screen or laproscopic surgical techniques.5'6 Many medical spewith an advanced, realistic clinical environment with all cialties such as cardiology, internal medicine, and critical types of interactive monitors, manikins, and anesthesia care medicine are embracing this innovative technoloequipment.13 Anesthesia providers are expected to diagnosis and