Rall M, Manger A, Trick M, Guggenberger H
Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany

ABSTRACT:

The problem in the training of medical students is that they have only limited opportunities to really manage whole cases by their own. After they finished medical school they are thrown in the real world as residents expected to be able to act in the hospital. Of course they do not feel confident in this situation. The result is a danger to patient safety and a prolonged apprenticeship-like period until they learn-by-doing and feel confident managing patients alone.

Simulators are well established in the training of novices(1). In 1988 highly realistic full scale simulators were introduced in the medical domain (2-4), originally designed for anaesthesiology training. By now, they found their way in the education of medical students in all aspects of emergency medicine. The simulators are computer controlled multi-model systems designed to resemble a real patient as realistic as possible. The simulator mannequin is connected to normal clinical equipment. The idea is to have medical students doing cases on a realistic patient simulator. But instead of having the instructor in the room, the student is alone, resembling the real world situation in a better way. To ensure training effects the student has the opportunity to call the instructor via a wireless headset. The instructor is connected to the simulator room with live-video images, the vital sign monitors and full-duplex audio, thus being able to give advice to the student. The student remains alone in the room. So all measures and management issues have to be performed by the student alone. In the progress of learning the student will have to call the instructor more and more seldom. This approach could offer a new dimension in establishing a real world performance ability for medical students.

(1) Chopra V, Gesink BJ, de Jong J, Bovill JG, Spierdijk J, Brand R.
Does training on an anaesthesia simulator lead to improvement in performance? Br J Anaesth 1994; 73(3):293-297.

(2) Gaba DM. Improving anesthesiologists' performance by simulating reality [editorial; comment]. Anesthesiology 1992; 76(4):491-494.

(3) Gaba DM, DeAnda A. A comprehensive anesthesia simulation environment: re-creating the operating room for research and training.
Anesthesiology 1988; 69(3):387-394.

(4) Gaba DM, Howard S, Smith B, Weinger MB. Simulators in anesthesiology education. ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA 1999; 89(3):805-806.

Introduction to the realistic patient simulator systems Didactic points for discussion about medical student training High-tech telementoring aspects (telemedicine)

Marcus Rall
Hoppe-Seyler-3
D-72076 Tuebingen
Phone: 070712986622
Fax: 07071295533
Email: mrall@web.de

CO-AUTHORS:

Andreas Manger
Michael Trick
Heinz Guggenberger
s. above