Collaborative Clinical Simulation Manual

Gonzalez-Caminal G., Gomar-Sancho C., Guinez-Molinos S.
Independently published, 2024
979-8-3259-2456-9

The Collaborative Simulation Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Implement MOSAICO emerges as a comprehensive and methodologically sound approach to addressing the challenge of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice. Edited by Sergio Guinez-Molinos, Carmen Gomar-Sancho, and Griselda Gonzalez-Caminal, and with contributions from a multidisciplinary team of experts, this manual provides a structured guide for implementing MOSAICO, a collaborative, computer-supported clinical simulation method.
A Well-Structured and Practical Guide
The manual is meticulously organized, starting with an introduction to the fundamentals of collaborative simulation, followed by a detailed breakdown of the MOSAICO model, its implementation phases, and reference files. The book is structured in a way that allows both newcomers and experienced educators to navigate its content efficiently.
A particularly valuable feature of the manual is its structured four-phase approach to simulation-based learning:
- Educational Design – The preparatory phase where learning objectives, case scenarios, and assessment instruments are developed.
- Collaborative Case Design – Students, under guided facilitation, develop clinical cases that will be simulated.
- Simulation of the Clinical Case – Enactment of the designed scenarios, allowing students to alternate between roles as designers, performers, and observers.
- Collaborative Debriefing – A structured reflection phase where all participants analyze the learning experience and identify areas for improvement.
Each phase is supplemented with detailed guidelines, practical tips, real-world examples, and templates, making it easy to replicate MOSAICO in diverse academic settings.
Strengths of the MOSAICO Approach
One of the manual’s greatest strengths is its emphasis on collaborative learning. Unlike traditional simulation models that focus primarily on individual skill acquisition, MOSAICO encourages teamwork, communication, and peer learning, critical competencies in healthcare. The book convincingly argues that clinical practice is inherently collaborative, and therefore, medical training should reflect this reality.
Another notable aspect of the book is its adaptability. While the manual primarily targets medical and physiotherapy students, its principles can, in fact, be applied to students of medicine, physiotherapy, speech therapy, nutrition, and obstetrics and childcare, as well as in medical residency programs or postgraduate physiotherapy studies.
A Significant Contribution to Healthcare Education
The manual is an invaluable resource for educators seeking to implement innovative, competency-based learning strategies. Its structured methodology, emphasis on collaboration, and evidence-based foundation make it a standout contribution to medical and healthcare education.
The self-publishing route (on Amazon) chosen by the authors ensures that the manual remains accessible and open to updates, reflecting the dynamic nature of clinical education. Additionally, the inclusion of an online platform (www.mosaicoweb.cl) underscores the collaborative ethos of MOSAICO, inviting educators worldwide to share their experiences and further develop the method.
Comments from the Authors
..We have successfully applied in Europe and Latin America for medical students in different subjects such as cardiology, nephrology, psychiatry, endocrinology, neurology, and genetics, among others; and we have started to spread the model among other countries and degrees with enthusiastic acceptance. Therefore, we want to share with the simulation community our experience and the model itself, so we come with this short manual. In this manual we compiled the experience of many teachers applying MOSAICO to teach different competences. Since the model differs on the way we do regular simulation the idea of writing this manual comes around. It describes the different phases of MOSAICO, providing detailed explanations of how to apply the method and adapt it to available resources. We also define the characteristics that teachers need to apply MOSAICO successfully.
About the authors
Griselda Gonzalez-Caminal is a Physiotherapist with a PhD in Education. She specializes in simulation and educational design, and her main activity has been the design, development, and implementation of simulation programs both in academia and the professional world.
Carmen Gomar-Sancho is an Anesthesiologist with a PhD in Medicine. She is the director of the Chair of Clinical Simulation and Patient Safety of Universitat de Vic—Universitat Central of Catalunya, Spain, and her main activity has been innovation in simulation and education.
Sergio Guinez-Molinos is a Computer Engineer with a PhD in Medicine and Translational Research. He specializes in health information systems and interoperability, and his main activity has been the design, development, and implementation of digital health platforms in academia, health services, and institutions.
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