Simulation in Anesthesia

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HalO'Thane

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Does anyone utilize anesthesia simulation in private practice? I am currently in academics and have a strong interest in the use of simulation in anesthesia. I think it can be a valuable teaching tool for trainees to develop leadership and communication skills and have even found it helpful for myself as a refresher for both common and uncommon crisis management scenarios. Just curious to see if this teaching tool is available to those working in the "real world."

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I've used it at multiple centers over the years and I'm currently in PP. I believe it offers very little relative to the costs associated with it.
 
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I'm in academics with a strong simulation program and other than the required moca I have not been to it.

I'm sure there is some value to it. Has to be better than having people watching soap operas at home. But I agree that it is not very cost effective. The high tech equipment and the physician personnel make it too expensive. Plus you only get to do about 3 cases per session.

I imagine a good computer program can improve competence for a lot less with way more scenarios.

I believe most of the bad outcomes art due to trivial things like overlooking something on the H&P or being complacent with marginal vital signs, not major events that are taught in moca.
 
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Let me put it this way: if one wants to simulate crisis situations, one can do it in any OR with oral board type planned crash events, even team-based. One does not need fancy-shmancy simulators for it.

It's not the simulation that's valuable, it's rehearsing a scenario with a real-life team (not an ad-hoc one) until the entire team "dances" synchronously, without hiccups, and everybody knows exactly what s/he would have to do in a specific situation.
 
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I work mostly in an ASC, where the same group of people tends to do the same procedures all the time. Especially when we have multiple cases of the same type scheduled, it's just a pleasure to watch the workflow. After hundreds of days worked together, we all know who does what and when. It's truly a dance. One cannot get here if one is training with strangers, not the real-life workplace team.

The latter can be easily seen in code situations, when it's usually a pain to watch how people don't know who's supposed to do what and when, not without a "team leader". In a rehearsed situation, the team leader only gives the cue, like a conductor, but each team member knows what s/he's supposed to do even without being told. That's what simulations should be for.
 
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