Jeff Berkley, PhD, examines why robot-assisted surgery and simulation training has the very real potential to revolutionize healthcare, by boosting quality while cutting overall costs. Mimic's dV-Trainer allows surgeons to train with a virtual robot rather than an actual robot, which can result in significant savings on training costs. Image...

Barbara Beebe’s first of two articles highlights the innovative work in simulation at CAPE.  Behavioral skills, commonly known as teamwork, are an integral part of all programs at CAPE and include such things as clear communication, leadership and delegation of workload. Image Credit: CAPE Simulation is being used with increasing...

Dr. Jonathan Woodson is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and Director, TRICARE Management Activity. In this role, he administers the more than $50 billion Military Health System budget and serves as principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense for health issues. In response to questions from...

From major newspaper headlines to esteemed healthcare publications all say 2013 will be an interesting year for healthcare. . . to put it mildly! There is continuing uncertainty around the implementation of the “patient protection and affordable health care act”. . including healthcare exchanges, the Medicare physician fee schedule, the...

Halldale Publisher and CEO Andy Smith, places into context his insights gained from several decades of watching the civil aviation sector achieve unprecedented levels of safety. The Herculean advancements in civil aviation safety may be tailored to and replicated by the healthcare industry.            Career- long learning is well established...

Thomas S. Lendvay, MD, FACS reports on how virtual reality, robotic pre-surgical rehearsal improves performance and reduces errors in both surgical trainees and experienced surgeons. Demonstration of our set-up in the ISIS simulation center with the da Vinci. Tasks are affixed to acrylic plates so that the orientation of the...

Editor, Judith Riess visited Billings Clinic and discussed with Dr. Mark Rumans the hospital’s approach to reducing MRSA. Experimental learning makes the invisible become visible. Here, chocolate pudding is used to show how germs spread. Image Credit: Julie Burton/ Billings Clinic Millions of people are suffering from hospital acquired infections.

Will Enfinger, Gavin Gardner and Carole Durant from the U.S. Air Force, provide details on how the TeamSTEPPS™ program, and its simulation underpinning, help improve patient safety.   Members of the ER respond to a TeamSTEPPS/Mock Code Blue scenario. Image Credit: Will Enfinger Members of the ER respond to a...

In the first of three articles of particular interest to program administrators, Jane Kleinman, RN, MAOM, and Jeff Myers, MD, provide seven compelling questions that should be considered prior to implementing any simulation project. Taking the right action at the right time for the right reason in the right way...

In the second in a series of articles on medical simulation centers, Group Editor Marty Kauchak explores developments in the technologies used by these facilities’ learners. One End User’s Insights The burgeoning number of medical simulation centers around the world supports nothing less than a transformation in the healthcare community’s...