Have you ever wondered how doctors and medical students can be better in treating patients?

One of the answers lies in the use of simulation in medicine.

An excellent knol written by Diane Sliwka and Manuel pardo explains all you need to know about the use of simulation in medicine.

According to the knol, simulation, in essence, is a technique for practice and learning that can be applied to many disciplines, such as aviation, nuclear power plants, space aeronautics, the military, business, and healthcare.

There are many types of simulation:

1. Standardized Patients: Standardized Patients (SPs) are actors or lay persons who are trained to reliably play the role of a patient in a clinical encounter.
2. Computer (Screen) Based Systems and Virtual Reality: Computers and virtual reality currently allow users to interact with an environment whose output is through a computer screen.
3. Part Task Trainers: Part task trainers are devices designed to replicate a particular part of the anatomy.
4. Hybrid Simulation: Hybrid simulation combines standardized patients with part task trainers.
5. Full Body Mannequin: Full body mannequin-based simulators are currently used primarily for training teams of doctors to respond to medical, emergency room, surgical, or obstetric patients.

Do those simulations really helps medical students and apprentices?

According to the knol and its sources - yes.

The features of simulation which best facilitate learning include:

1. providing feedback.
2. repetitive practice.
3. curriculum integration.
4. range of difficulty level.

The educational benefits of simulation in medical education include the following:

1. deliberate practice with feedback.
2. exposure to uncommon events.
3. reproducibility.
4. the opportunity for assessment of learners.
5. the absence of risk to patient.

You can read the more detailed explanation on simulation in medicine from the knol.

Image by EMS_EMT.