The SIMMED 2024 National Congress will be held in Milan at the Humanitas University on 14 and 15 November, bringing together experts and healthcare education professionals to explore the new frontiers of medical simulation. This event represents an important opportunity for updating and networking, with a rich programme of conferences, workshops and interactive sessions dedicated to the latest innovations in the medical field. SIMZINE has selected five must-attend workshops that delve into key topics such as in-situ simulation, immersive technologies, popular writing, patient safety and the educational approach of SimZones.
The SIMMED 2024 National Congress will be held in Milan on 14 and 15 November at the Humanitas University, bringing together experts and practitioners to explore the new frontiers of healthcare training. The event represents an important opportunity for updating and exchanging ideas, with a rich programme of sessions, conferences and workshops addressing crucial issues for the growth and development of medical simulation in Italy.
Among the various workshops, SIMZINE has chosen 5 that we believe are worth attending.
In-Situ Simulation: a tool for Clinical Governance
This workshop aims to introduce healthcare professionals to the integration of in-situ simulation in clinical governance, focusing on improving patient safety and quality of care. Participants, under the guidance of Luca Carenzo and other facilitators from Humanitas University and beyond, will learn how in-situ simulation can be combined with clinical governance tools such as audit, incident reporting and risk management to support continuous improvement efforts. The session will guide participants in designing simulation scenarios that address real problems, using incident reports as a key source. In addition, best practices for documenting and communicating results will be covered, promoting a culture of safety, transparency and continuous learning in healthcare organisations.
Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality: the many faces of immersive technologies for medical and surgical education
The increasing use of immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) is transforming medical-surgical training. These solutions, brought together under the Extended Reality (XR) umbrella, enhance the learning of technical and soft skills by offering immersive and controlled environments. Students can repeat complex tasks, facilitating the transfer of theoretical knowledge to real clinical practice. The sense of presence in XR simulations enhances engagement, helping to achieve better results, especially in repetitive tasks. In the workshop, led by Mara Coduri and the team of the Joint lab for Emerging Technologies in Simulation (JETS) in Genoa, participants will explore the educational potential and limitations of these technologies, with the opportunity to test solutions developed in the lab.
Why write an article? Non-academic writing to promote simulation
Led by Pier Luigi Ingrassia, the workshop aims to make the process of writing informative and engaging articles accessible, with a specific focus on simulation in healthcare. The workshop highlights the need to disseminate best practices in healthcare simulation to the entire community of professionals, including those less involved in academia. Participants will be taken through all stages of writing, from idea to publication, exploring a non-academic communication style suitable for a wider audience. Key concepts will include choosing a narrative voice, structuring an article and analysing a model article to draw lessons for personal writing.
From risk to resilience: improving patient safety with a combined approach of risk assessment and in-situ simulation
Giovanni Rabito and his team propose a combined approach of risk assessment and in-situ simulation to improve patient safety. In-situ simulations are essential training tools for healthcare personnel, allowing them to practise response skills in realistic environments. However, as they are expensive and complex, they must be carefully designed. During the workshop, participants will acquire skills to use tools such as HAZOP (HAZard and OPerability) to identify major process deviations, or apply Vincent C.’s London Protocol (2004) to analyse major care problems, as well as good practices emerging from simulations.
SimZones Guide: When to Teach, Coach or Debrief with ‘Good Judgement’
Led by Federico Barra, the workshop introduces an innovative approach to improve the organisation of simulation for educational purposes. The SimZones model divides learning into five zones: Zone 0 facilitates autonomous learning; Zone 1 focuses on basic clinical skills conducted under the supervision of an instructor; Zone 2 allows the application of these skills in realistic scenarios; Zone 3 focuses on simulating crises and complex situations in teams. Finally, Zone 4 applies the knowledge to the real context. The SimZones approach is useful in that it allows for the characterisation of actual (or desired) simulation activities, teachers, technical personnel and the resources required to carry out these activities. Working in small groups, participants will have the opportunity to choose a relevant clinical topic and create a learning pathway through the different zones (from Zone 1 to Zone 3). Part of the workshop will focus on the Debriefing With Good Judgment approach to improve the quality of feedback and debriefing, with hands-on activities and interactive sessions to consolidate skills.
If you want to know more about the congress, visit the SIMMED website.
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