The Role of Simulation in Improving Patient Safety

Abstract

This chapter will discuss how simulation-based technology and techniques can be used to make patients safer. The chapter starts with a primer on patient safety terminology, followed by a discussion of the use of simulation to improve patient safety at the individual and team levels, and an exploration of the application of simulation to improve patient safety at system levels. Many of the existing simulation-based medical education interventions in the pediatric community can be adapted to maximize their impact on patient safety. Additionally, novel applications of simulation with a specific focus on patient safety have great potential to increase the value proposition of healthcare simulation. This value includes both soft dollars in savings related to traditional simulation-based training and hard dollars related to increased efficiency and reductions in serious safety events and potential litigation. Healthcare providers with an expertise in simulation can use this chapter as a guide to integrating simulation activities into your institutions’ existing risk, safety, and/or quality activities. A discussion on how to foster sustainable ongoing collaborations will be presented, including the development of new collaborations with experts in systems engineering, human factors, and the behavioral sciences. The chapter will finish by exploring the barriers and future application of simulation to patient safety. This integration will maximize the impact of this patient safety work on pediatric patient outcomes.