Three months after the SIMMED 2025 National Congress, the impact of the event is clear: healthcare simulation is establishing itself as a structured system, with professional certification, a national network of centres and scientific recognition. SIMMED consolidates its strategic role in patient safety and healthcare training, ushering in a new season of professionalisation, standardisation and territorial dissemination of a safety culture.
Three months after the SIMMED 2025 National Congress, it is now possible to observe the impact of the late November Rome gathering with greater clarity. More than an isolated event, the congress represented a consolidation moment for the Italian healthcare simulation community. The topics addressed, from patient safety to scientific leadership and newly available technologies, continue to guide the work of centres, educators and professionals, confirming a progressive integration of simulation into organisational processes.
SIMMED 2025: numbers, scientific vision and paradigm shift
On 27 and 28 November 2025, the SIMMED National Congress brought together the Italian simulation community in Rome at the stunning Conference Centre of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, preceded on 26 November by pre-courses at the Gemelli Training Center (GTC). Three intense days confirmed a paradigm shift: in healthcare, simulation has moved beyond being “just” educational to become organisational culture, a strategic lever for safety and a fully-fledged professional infrastructure.
The 2025 edition saw the participation of 297 professionals, with a packed programme: 45 workshops and 59 Quick Focus sessions. Setting the pace were the two keynote lectures:
- Dr Gustavo Norte explored the state of the art and future perspectives of Patient Safety through simulation.
- Prof. Walter Ricciardi called on the audience for “courageous” scientific leadership to tackle contemporary challenges.
Two complementary visions: on the one hand, technique as a shield for the patient; on the other, the political and managerial responsibility for change.
SIMMED and the national network of centres
Activities started on 26 November at the Gemelli Training Center with high-profile technical workshops, ranging from difficult paediatric airways to the use of artificial intelligence applied to simulated scenarios. A key milestone was the Council of Simulation Centres. This year, participation from the SIMMED network centres (38 organisations present) was the largest ever, a sign of a now mature national cohesion.
The Council was not a mere assembly formality but a moment of concrete stock-taking. The commitments made in 2024 are now reality: SIMMED is officially a Scientific Society, the first national certification for expert facilitators has been launched and the network of regional representatives is operational. The latter, officially introduced during the congress, will serve as a bridge between the national level and the regions, with a 2026 action plan focusing on training projects and local-scale networking.
Technology is nothing without the facilitator’s competence.
What was actually seen in the classrooms? The workshops focused entirely on non technical skills, quality debriefing, immersive learning and the use of simulation as a tool for hospital risk managers. Topics ranged from “murder mystery dinners” to educational escape rooms, to the use of actors to manage high emotional intensity. The core concept emerged forcefully: technology is nothing without the facilitator’s competence.
The Quick Focus sessions showcased the more “practical” side of Italian research: from predictive models for home care to low-cost ultrasound simulators, to training emergency medical services in critical contexts. Technological and organisational innovation proved, in practice, to be two sides of the same coin.
SIMMED and professional certification
The most anticipated announcement was the Certification of the Expert Professional in Healthcare Simulation. This is not a simple internal “badge” but a third-party certification, compliant with the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17024 standard.
This framework rigorously defines requirements, competencies and assessment methods, covering every aspect of the work: from scenario design to Crisis Resource Management, through to support for clinical risk management. It is the decisive step towards the professionalisation of simulation in Italy.
The Rome Congress was therefore not just an opportunity for technical updating but the birth certificate of a new awareness for Italian simulation. Whereas in past years excellence depended on the initiative of individual centres, today the landscape is that of an organised structure, capable of engaging with institutions and certifying its competencies according to international standards.
The transition from “educational methodology” to “safety system” is now complete: simulation confirms itself as the indispensable tool for reducing clinical error and improving the resilience of our healthcare facilities.
Final assessment
Looking ahead to 2026, the challenge now shifts to the regions. The new network of regional representatives and the launch of professional certifications will be the pillars on which to build increasingly widespread and consistent training. The goal is clear: to transform the enthusiasm generated during these three days in Rome into coordinated action that brings the culture of safety to every ward. Rome 2025 closes its doors but officially opens a season in which simulation is no longer a virtuous exception but the professional standard of tomorrow’s healthcare.
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