A quick look at Arab Health, which was held in Dubai at the end of January, through the experience of a special correspondent, to better understand the impact of simulation on the biggest healthcare conference in the Middle East
The Impact of Simulation at Arab Health
First of all, Arab Health is quite an impressive conference. With many parallel conference tracks and a really huge exhibition area, it is a task for several days to even get a sufficient overview on all that’s going on.
Simulation based training and education was visible in quite a few parts, which, given the all-encompassing nature of this event, I see as a very good sign, showing that slowly this method is leaving its niche.
As many conferences ran in parallel, I can only address what I witnessed in person, and that was the Quality Management Conference. On both days, there were quite a few presentations discussing the way in which simulation can help bridge educational gaps and enhance patient safety. From the training of male nurses in delivery to product testing and human factors engineering, many aspects of simulation have been discussed. The general interest of the public was pretty high, leading to interesting Q&A sessions.
One interesting thing I learned here was the use of microwave molten chocolate bars to fill stoma bags on simulators or Standardized Patients (SPs) – sounds weird, but I can imagine this being most effective indeed.
Unparalleled Exhibition Experience and Learning
The industry exhibition was incredible. Huge is not the right word to describe it, humongous might be more appropriate. In my personal experience, the only other event coming even close to this scale is Medica in Düsseldorf. Forget any medical conference you have ever visited, this is at least ten times bigger. Just to walk through all the halls would take more than a day. So walking aimlessly is not an option. Admittedly, not everything is equally interesting: if you’re not into hospital gowns and scrubs, then the thousands of square meters dedicated to this topic are skippable. Which sounds easier than it is doable, because stands are grouped not only thematically, but also by nations or regions.
Quite a few simulator companies were represented: some, as Laerdal, on their own booths, others, as Gaumard and 3B Scientific, in their respective national areas. Striking was also the presence of many simulators, mostly to showcase the usage of some specialised device. Which is, in fact, a very good use of simulators, and will also lead to make healthcare public more familiar with them.
Overall, it was a valuable experience, I learned some new things, but I also learned that next time I really should plan my visit better and in more detail.
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