There are many different categorisations of simulation types; however, the Health Education and Training Institute (HETI) of NSW categorises the type of simulations into the following groups (2014):
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Animal or cadaveric simulator: Use of human or animal tissue samples to simulate anatomy of a patient e.g. cadaver samples used for developing knowledge of head and neck anatomy.
Computer Based Simulation: Computer based activities provided for interaction with the learner e.g. virtual patients, virtual clinical settings, second life, and avatars. Task Trainer: Devices or models that replicate a specific part of the human body or a clinical task for learners to practice skill mastery. An example may be programming categories on an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device, or using a stuttering rater. Simulated Patient (also standardised patient): A trained actor portrays a patient in a simulated health care scenario. They may or may not offer feedback to learners during or after the activity. This type of simulation has been implemented in many allied health courses as a means of training and skills assessment. Hybrid Simulation: Combination of two or more simulation types. An example of hybrid simulation may be dysphagia assessment role play activity with training in preparation of thickened fluid consistencies. Manikin (also high-fidelity human patient simulators): Mainly used outside of speech pathology, and the level of sophistication and degree to which students can interact differs along with technology and realism. An example of manikin use is in immersive simulations which involve learners from multiple disciplines and can be useful in developing team and communication skills within a multidisciplinary setting. Click on image to enlarge for better viewing.
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Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs): Students' skills are assessed often using these activities that reflect scenarios requiring targeted clinical skill demonstration. These forms of assessment are also becoming more popular with employers in the job recruitment processes to evaluate applicants' clinical skill-base.
Role Play: A clinical scenario is outlined with learners taking up various roles within the setting such as clinician, patient, caregiver, or other health staff member. The focus is on learning through practical application of knowledge and skills, allowing learners to employ reflective practice and incorporate knowledge into clinical reasoning. Virtual Reality: The patient and clinical environment are presented via visual and/or audio representation in either 2D or 3D for the learner to interact with. For example computer based avatars that present case information for learners to consider and respond to as if responding to the patient in real life clinical setting. Each type of simulation can be used to address different learning outcomes be it clinical skill or knowledge acquisition or professional skills e.g. communication, reasoning, and professionalism. Below Figure 1 demonstrates the types of core outcomes each simulation type can target on a scale of risk to patient safety from least down to most risk. It is worth noting that there is another common categorisation of simulation based on similarity to real world situations. This system classifies simulations as low, medium, and high fidelity. Please click on the purple box for more information on simulations as low, medium, and high fidelity.
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Figure 1. Using Simulation to address graduate outcomes (HETI, 2014).