International Journal of Healthcare Simulation

Background:

The relationship between Trusts and Higher Education Institutions has long been a transactional one. One Trust and one Higher Educational Institution have come together to collaborate on a simulation project that will utilise simulation as a method for improving safety learning through a novel application to simulate incidents that have happened and incorporate them into the incident investigation process training individuals using a systems approach. In safety critical industries such as rail, aviation and marine, simulations are used as part of the incident investigation process, to explore potential causes of accidents, embed learning from investigations amongst the workforce, or to establish the necessary technical and non-technical skills required for effective investigation. A move away from the historically embedded root cause analysis process, which unhelpfully promotes a simplistic incident review often resulting in a single cause outcome, our systems approach is a more holistic method of investigation.

Through a co-production process, the research aims to design and pilot a programme of interventions that will use simulation as an education tool:

1. Training individuals in a systems approach to incident investigation

2. Learning from incidents that have happened applying simulation

3. Training individuals in the delivery of simulation that meets ASPiH standards [1,2]

Methods:

The collaboration between the HEI and the District General Trust allowed for a bid for matched funding to support a project that allows for building academic and research development, leading to a potentially nationally scalable project. Initially delivered as a pilot study, it utilises simulation as method for improving safety learning through its novel application. Scenarios will be based on serious incidents to understand how and why they occurred, generating recommendations that consider systems and human factors. We are collating data and feedback on the interventions and will report these as they emerge.

Results:

This is an ongoing project that is in the implementation phase. To date the training of the simulation faculty has been undertaken in readiness for them to develop the critical incident simulations.

Conclusion:

The use of simulations for incidents will simultaneously form part of the incident investigation process. Running these scenarios later will test whether they are working effectively and allow for feedback to the staff involved in the scenarios or those watching the recordings as well as identify errors that need a system level response.

References

1. Purva M, Nicklin J. ASPiH standards for simulation-based education: process of consultation, design and implementation. BMJ Simulation & Technology Enhanced Learning. 2018;4(3):117.

2. Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare. 2016. Standards Framework and Guidance. Association for simulated practice in healthcare (ASPiH) standards for simulation-based education. https://aspih.org.uk/standards-framework-for-sbe/ [Accessed on 26/06/2022]