Virtual Simulation is on the Rise
The use of virtual simulation in medical education is on the rise and beginning to play a crucial role in the way the curriculum is delivered. While simulation will never replace the value of in-person learning, the global healthcare/medical simulation industry is estimated to grow to $4.9 billion by 2027 due to increasing needs “to achieve enhanced clinical decision-making” (Business Wire, 2022). The limitations of virtual learning are fully recognized and acknowledged within medical education, but virtual simulation is here to stay! However, the gap between theory and clinical practice for medical students remains.
Not Ready to Bring Virtual Simulation into a Curriculum?
At CyberPatient, we fully understand the challenges of introducing new learning approaches, technologies or tools into a specific and unique curriculum. It is a complex process and takes up vital teaching time, never mind the many layers of approvals often found in higher educational institutions. So we developed the CyberPatient Institutional Data-Driven Trial, allowing faculty to experience virtual simulation and the value of experiential learning in real-time. It is obligation-free and does not require multiple stamps of approval but rather a curiosity to determine if our virtual hospital is a fit for an institution, its faculty and students. The customized reporting may even help fast-track the platform licencing and implementation process!
Can virtual simulation help save lives?
The role of simulation impacting patient safety is continually a topic of discussion in academic circles. However, simulation has been identified as a critical strategy to improve patient safety and preparedness saves lives. By helping people prepare for potential disasters and multiple scenarios, virtual simulation and VR technology help save many lives. Experiencing real-life scenarios in tactical, strategic, or narrative environments helps emergency responders learn and continuously practice their skills. They can prepare and plan. CyberPatient, like many other virtual educational tools, helps students prepare and practice for real-life scenarios and enhances their clinical decision-making skills. It is estimated that there are 22,000- 250,000 preventable hospital deaths annually in the United States (Hathaway, 2020). If virtual simulation can better prepare professionals for real life and drastically bring that number down, why is it not already included in more global curricula?
Research conducted by various institutions shows significant improvement in results for the CyberPatient learner control group. Faculty members can do their own research to demonstrate the feasibility of CyberPatient as an integrated element of their curriculum.
CyberPatient’s virtual training hospital pioneers educational simulation in healthcare by bridging the gap between the theory and practice of medicine.
