ROCHESTER, Minn. - An analysis led by Mayo Clinic
researchers found that simulation-based training is an effective way to
teach physicians, nurses, dentists, emergency medical technicians and
other health professionals. The team reviewed more than 600 studies
evaluating the use of technologies such as virtual reality computers,
mannequins and training models to teach skills and procedures including
surgery, trauma management, obstetrics and team communication. Their
conclusions were published Sept. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lead author David Cook, M.D., of Mayo Clinic’s Department of General Internal Medicine, worked with researchers from Mayo, the University of Ottawa, the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto.
They concluded that training with simulation is consistently better
than no instruction, as measured in controlled settings and in practice
with actual patients.
“We reviewed hundreds of articles, and, with
extremely rare exceptions, we found improved outcomes for those who
trained with simulation,” Dr. Cook says. “This held true across a wide
variety of learners, learning contexts and clinical topics.”
However,
“we need more effective, more efficient, and safer ways to learn,” Dr.
Cook says, citing the increasing volume of medical knowledge, rapidly
changing practice environments and evolving physician-patient
relationships. “Simulation-based instruction
has unique advantages, including the opportunity to practice without
harming patients, repeat training to become more proficient and
structure training for more effective learning.”
The study also
found a lot of variation in the quality and results of the simulation
activities. “Not all training was equally effective,” Dr. Cook says.
“Now that we know that simulation works, the next step is to understand
how to use simulation-based instruction effectively and efficiently.” He
and the others on his team are currently researching how to use
simulation-based teaching most cost-effectively.
The other
researchers were Benjamin Zendejas, M. D., Jason Szostek, M. D., Amy
Wang, M. D., and Patricia Erwin, all of Mayo Clinic; Stanley Hamstra,
Ph. D., University of Ottawa; Rose Hatala, M. D., University of British
Columbia; and Ryan Brydges, Ph. D., University of Toronto.
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