Continuing HealthySimulation.com’s coverage of Medical Simulation companies or terms clinical simulation champions need to know about, in this article are covered all of the critical healthcare simulation key terms covering definitions, products, companies, and organizations that are providing high quality in-demand learning tools in the domain of clinical simulation! These simulation in healthcare vendors and organizations are important to know more about as they may offer unique products and services which can perfectly fit your simulation center or learners’ needs! Here then is the comprehensive HealthySimulation.com list of Medical Simulation keyterms you need to know about, in alphabetical order:
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ASPiH Simulation Standards: Association of Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) is a non-profit healthcare simulation organization in the United Kingdom. ASPiH published their initial standards in 2016, describing the attributes required to design and deliver effective simulation-based education and practice. The process took two years to develop a National Standards Framework for Simulation-based Education. The Health Education England (HEE) recognized the need for standards in the healthcare simulation field and was partly-funded by the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH) to produce an initial draft document that has been further developed into this final framework through consultation, research and expert input. In 2023, the ASPiH Standards were updated to reflect new knowledge and simulation practices. This HealthySimulation.com article by Teresa Gore, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CHSE-A, FSSH, FAAN, will discuss the development, adoption, and update of the ASPiH Standards.
ASPiH: The Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare, is a UK-based non-profit membership organization formed in 2010 that is made up of professionals from the fields of healthcare, education and patient safety. These members include researchers, learning technologists, workforce development managers, education managers, administrators and healthcare staff and students. Members of the ASPiH tend to have a genuine interest in both new and innovative methods of learning, and wish to optimize the use of available clinical simulation resources across their work.
ASPE Standards of Best Practice: Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) were developed for those working with clinical human role players who interact with healthcare learners in a wide range of experiential learning and assessment contexts. The ASPE SOBP are intended to be used in conjunction with the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) Healthcare Simulation Standards, which address broader simulation practices. These standards are a foundation to guide the practice and management of Standardized Patient Programs for educators who use this methodology in clinical simulation.
ASPE: Yep, it’s different from ASPiH! The Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) is a global organization focused on human simulation via Standardized Patients, aka Simulated Patients. Headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla., the organization serves as a virtual community for connection to the field of medical simulation. Designed with member convenience in mind, ASPE is responsive and easily accessible from a computer, phone or personal device. All things Standardized Patient here!
ASPE GTA and MUTA Standards of Best Practice: The Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) is a global organization focused on human simulation via Standardized Patients, aka Simulated Patients. ASPE serves as a virtual community that connects to the field of medical simulation. The Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) published theASPE Standards of Best Practice (2017) to identify guidelines for individuals and programs working with standardized patients (SPs). This HealthySimulation.com article explores ASPE’s Standards of Best Practice (SOBP) for gynecological teaching assistants (GTA) and male urogenital teaching assistants (MUTA).
Augmented Reality in Medicine: Augmented Reality has been shown to have great purpose across surgery and surgical training. According to the Harvard Business Review article “How Augmented Reality Will Make Surgery Safer,” Augmented Reality’s potential ability to concurrently display imaging data and other patient information could save lives and decrease medical errors. Augmented Reality could also potentially transform Electronic Medical Records by providing a means by which Physicians and Practitioners do not need to turn away from a patient to look at a monitor.
Augmented Reality (AR) in simulation education is when display-based systems combine real and virtual imagery and are interactive in real time. AR systems allow learners to interact in real-world environments that are enhanced with virtual imagery. In other words, a visual display technology augments the physical environment. This happens in one of two ways: through a head-mounted display or via a non-immersive monitor-based video, respectively transparent view or window-on-the-world view.
Anne Simulator: This simulator is a healthcare simulation training product offered by Laerdal Medical. Designed to represent the body of an adult female, the highly realistic female patient simulator helps learners to understand the different aspects of modern nursing education and combine them with clinical care practices. The core nursing simulation skills which the Anne Simulator helps to train learners on includes critical thinking, advanced interventions and basic assessment techniques. Through learning systems like these manikins, educators can help develop these skills for current and future healthcare professionals to further understand the methodology and strategy behind clinical care procedures.
Anatomage: Anatomage is among the market leaders in medical simulation virtualization technology. For more than a decade Anatomage has been developing advanced 3-D anatomy products rendering hardware and software for both healthcare simulation in education and professional application. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the company offers technology that enables users to experience the most accurate anatomy visualization and dissection.
Avkin: Avkin is a manufacturer of wearable devices for use in healthcare simulations and is a consultant for standardized patient programs. Founded by a nurse educator, Avkin provides a simulation solution that combines the best of high-fidelity mannequins and the realism of standardized patients for the most authentic simulation experience possible. The company believes that the key to success in patient-centered care is practitioner training through realistic healthcare simulations and that human interaction is irreplaceable in clinical education.
Auscultation Simulator: An auscultation simulator is a healthcare simulation training device that allows learners to auscultate a variety of normal and abnormal body sounds with a simulated stethoscope. A heart and lung sounds simulator is helpful for healthcare professional students and junior staff members to refine the new skill of auscultation. Inexperienced healthcare professionals desire experience to listen to a variety of heart, lung and bowel sounds prior to assessments of patients in clinical care and so training through auscultation simulation should always be considered by clinical faculty.
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Body Interact: Body Interact is a cutting-edge medical simulation tool created by the company Take the Wind (TTW) for medicine and nursing, which uses virtual patients for problem-solving and clinical reasoning. The tool also allows for the creation of custom-made scenarios perfect for healthcare simulation programs looking to provide safe, affordable, and repetitive virtual patient engagements. Overall, the feedback provided by Body Interact is the way a learner will continuously improve their understanding and is key to their success. The timeline report provides a detailed sequence of actions taken during the clinical simulation. By checking their own performance metrics in accordance to the well-established guidelines, learners will determine ways to better themselves and strengthen their ability to perform in a healthcare scenario.
BT Inc.: BT Inc. is a Korean company that develops medical simulation devices which are similar to the human body for various practice and evaluation purposes. The company is currently planning, developing and manufacturing various medical simulators and models. According to the BT Inc. website, the company’s desire is to “always do the best to create a better tomorrow” in the field of healthcare simulation.
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CAE LearningSpace: CAE LearningSpace, now known Elevate Healthcare LearningSpace, is a healthcare simulation center management solution designed for use across medical schools, nursing education programs, allied health and hospital-based simulation programs. This CAE Healthcare audio video recording solution is a scalable healthcare education platform for debriefing which is user-friendly, web-based and secure. Using CAE LearningSpace gives learners a 360-degree view of their simulation training environment, performance and educational outcomes.
CAN-Sim Canadian Alliance of Nurse Educators using Simulation: The Canadian Alliance of Nurse Educators Using Simulation or CAN-Sim is a collaboration of nurse educators for excellence in healthcare simulation education and research. Connection of nurse educators and allied health professionals from across Canada and beyond internationally to share their knowledge, resources and expertise in areas of clinical simulation which also includes research and education. HealthySimulation.com is a proud media partner of CAN-Sim.
California Simulation Alliance: The California Simulation Alliance (CSA) is a virtual entity and a program within the California Institute for Nursing & Healthcare. The association is a statewide network that serves as an information clearinghouse and umbrella for seven regional collaboratives that provide healthcare simulation education and research. In addition to this, each year the California Simulation Alliance hosts a variety of simulation conferences to push healthcare simulation to the next level of utilization. CSA’s vision is to strengthen the healthcare simulation workforce through high-quality simulation. To achieve this, the organization works to strengthen expertise in simulation and advocate for simulation policy through interprofessional education, collaboration and evidence-based practice.
Cardiac Simulator: A Cardiac Simulator is an electrocardiogram (ECG) simulation tool that works to simulate an ECG for cardiac rhythms. Typically offered in the form of a software program or website, a Cardiac Simulator can be used by learners to begin to trace ECGs and subsequently record the electric pulse of the heart. Mimicking patient vital signs, this simulation tool can also be used to train on how to check for a variety of different heart conditions and problems. Usually these devices can be used with a manikin or other medical simulator to practice operating defibrillators or pacers through adapters enabling for real time ECG rhythms during clinical simulation exercises.
Center for Medical Simulation: The Center for Medical Simulation (CMS) is Harvard’s healthcare simulation training facility that focuses on instructing a broad spectrum of learners and providers. Since the center first opened in 1993, CMS has focused on developing teamwork behaviors and communication, collaboration and crisis management skills, all taught through realistic learning scenarios. Hands-on simulation in healthcare is used to help professionals develop a level of preparedness and insight that cannot be acquired through textbooks or lecture-based learning alone. In addition to this methodology, the Center for Medical Simulation’s vision includes establishing “experiential healthcare learning that never puts a patient at risk.” One of the world’s first clinical simulation centers, the mission of CMS is to ultimately use simulation to improve safety, quality and education in healthcare.
Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator – CHSE and CHSE-A: The Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator – Advanced (CHSE-A) are certifications available from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). As in the case of many medical specialties, certification helps distinguish a professional as an expert in the field. In healthcare simulation, there are a few certifications that help identify clinical simulation technicians and educators as being more extremely knowledgeable on the practice. Certification in healthcare simulation is the process to obtain, verify, and assess the qualifications of a practitioner. This page covers how the Society for Simulation in Healthcare offers the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator – Advanced (CHSE-A) certification. Note: See the CHSOS page for certification related to Healthcare Simulation Operations.
Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist – CHSOS and CHSOS-A: The Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS) and Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist – Advanced (CHSOS-A) are technical certifications provided by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). As in the case of many medical specialties, certification helps distinguish a professional as an expert in the field. In healthcare simulation, a few certifications help identify clinical simulation technicians and educators as extremely knowledgeable in the practice. Certification in healthcare simulation is the process to obtain, verify, and assess a practitioner’s qualifications. This page shares more about The Society for Simulation in Healthcare’s Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist (CHSOS) and Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist – Advanced (CHSOS-A) certifications. Note: Please see the CHSE page for the Educator’s Certification also available from SSH.
Childbirth Simulator: A childbirth simulator, or labor and delivery simulator, is a healthcare simulation manikin or skills task trainer used in medical education to help learners practice the process of obstetric care from prenatal assessment through labor and delivery. A childbirth simulator can be a torso-based task trainer, or a mid-to high-fidelity full-body labor manikin with a simulated uterus, fetus, and placenta. Research demonstrates that using labor simulation in clinical obstetrics training improves patient outcomes and safety.
Codimg: Codimg is an objective video feedback software designed for healthcare simulation, education solutions and training scenarios to improve performance and increase patient safety. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, the company offers fully customizable video analysis solutions that can be used across numerous industries.
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Defibrillator Simulator: A defibrillator simulator is a simulator which mimics a real life defibrillator which is used in the event of a cardiac arrest or cardiac based emergency to care for critically ill patients. Defibrillator simulators allow learners to practice cardiac arrest and cardiac emergency based clinical simulation scenarios and to increase confidence and clinical skills in use of a life saving piece of clinical equipment. A defib simulator is a healthcare simulation adjunct which would appeal to all centers and organizations with either undergraduate or postgraduate learners to upskill in defibrillation.
Dental Simulation: Dental Simulation is the use of simulation education for dentistry procedures. Clinical simulation in dental education is hardly a new phenomenon; the first “phantom head” was in use by the late 19th century. However, the simulation models have evolved continuously since then, and at this time, three-dimensional virtual reality (VR) software is becoming an educational standard. Pre-patient simulation training helps dental students transition smoothly to patient clinics. A number of simulation education tools and methodologies are available in dental schools. Dental education is extremely comprehensive, incorporating more than just oral health. Dental students also are educated in pharmacology, anatomy, human biology, and general health. Dental skill trainers address the need for preclinical education, concerns for patient safety, and provide the most appropriate learning setting for novice dental students.
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Echo Healthcare: Echo Healthcare is a dynamic medical simulation company focused on improving patient safety through the use of advanced simulation technology. With over 20 years of industry experience, the company is committed to redefining innovation and service by offering tailored solutions to customers. Echo Healthcare represents select, innovative products and services in the field of clinical simulation and education that bring a new level of realism to scenario-based medical education, including realistic patient manikins, patient masks, simulated patient monitors, simulated virtual environments, simulation technical support services, and more.
ECMO Simulation: ECMO Simulation is an emerging speciality educational and training opportunity that is rapidly expanding within the field of healthcare. Simulated trainers for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) allows healthcare professionals the opportunity to practice the skills of initiating and life-saving techniques. ECMO is a form of life support for people with life-threatening illness or injury that affects the function of their heart or lungs. ECMO keeps blood moving through the body and keeps oxygen and carbon dioxide in balance. This form of life support is used to provide prolonged cardiac and respiratory assistance for patients who have heart and lung conditions that are unable to maintain an adequate amount of perfusion. ECMO may be an option when other life support measures have not worked.
Elevate Healthcare: Elevate Healthcare, formerly known as CAE Healthcare, launched new branding on May 15th 2024 after the acquisition of the division from CAE by Madison Industries for $227M in October of 2023. Prior to the acquisition by Madison Industries and name change Elevate Healthcare in May 2024, CAE Healthcare had acquired several other leading technologies in the space including Medicor skills trainers and Blue Phantom Ultrasound trainers. The launch and rebrand to Elevate Healthcare demonstrates the company’s renewed vision and commitment to lead in innovation for healthcare simulation based education.
EHRGo: EHR Go is a healthcare simulation electronic health record and learning platform. The electronic medical record platform, which is a product of Archetype Innovations, was developed for all healthcare disciplines with over 600 customizable, realistic patients and activities. EHR Go’s clinical simulation EMR learning platform helps teach learners to make smart decisions while instilling a human-centered approach. EHR Go is designed to encourage learners to see the holistic nature of healthcare while becoming proficient in technology. This is why the platform includes patient cases ranging from simple to complex for illustrating every chief complaint, comorbid condition and clinical scenario possible.
Elsevier: Elsevier is a global information analytics business specializing in science and health. Elsevier partners with educators in higher education and healthcare simulation programs to help prepare learners to succeed in diverse healthcare training environments. For more than 135 years, Elsevier has allowed learners to practice and apply essential skills in controlled, monitored environments by providing medical simulation solutions with world-class content, innovative teaching and learning technology. Using Elsevier’s simulation solutions platform, educators gain access to over 1,200 clinical skills across 10 disciplines, all in one consistent format.
Endoscopy Simulator: Aka an Endoscopic Simulator, this educational and training tool used as a means of instruction for learners and healthcare professionals. Above all, the goal of using Endoscopy Simulators is to achieve the highest quality diagnostic-therapeutic result while minimizing the risks to the patient. While learning the skills necessary to perform endoscopy requires experience and time, this knowledge is also very much dependent on the ability of the trainee and the feedback given by an instructor. This is why having an experienced supervisor to oversee each training module is imperative.
Eye Simulator: An eye simulator is a computer simulator that is used across healthcare simulation to educate optometrists and ophthalmologists to assess, diagnose and manage vision changes and eye care. Eye simulators combine computers, external or internal images of the eye, and a simulated ophthalmoscope. They can enhance education for optometrists and ophthalmologists by teaching them to recognize common eye problems. Instructors can provide guidance and feedback in real-time, which also enhances education.
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FundamentalVR was founded in 2012, and is a digital health company that uses virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) healthcare simulation solutions to help train surgeons using real-world scenarios. The technology and data insight business specializes in the intersection between immersive experiences and haptics, working to enhance medical training and outcomes. Headquartered in London, England, the company provides training and simulation education across medical and communications markets. FundamentalVR is utilized throughout a variety of disciplines, including minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic, ophthalmology, ENT and neurosurgery. The company’s simulations provide a way to accelerate education, understanding and advocacy across skill training, ranging from technical capability development and rehearsal to clinical shared decision-making.
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GIGXR: GIGXR is a SaaS platform that delivers extended reality (XR) healthcare simulation applications for learning environments, higher education institutions, and enterprise facilities. The company offers an energetic training solution using Augmented Reality (AR) by creating innovative clinical simulation applications to solve perennial problems around visualization and 3D understanding. GIGXR has harnessed a proven track record for recognizing key problems in education and training, and unlocking the potential of XR in simulation technologies to solve them.
Gordon Center: The Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education (formerly referred to as GCRME) is a designated Center of Excellence of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. The Gordon Center training facility applies advanced technology to medical simulation education for healthcare professionals and learners. Established over 45 years ago, the Gordon Center currently helps to educate learners at more than 2,000 medical centers and agencies worldwide. The simulation center also conducts outcome-based research to rigorously assess the effectiveness and impact of healthcare simulation and technology-based training programs created at Gordon Center.
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Healthcare Simulation Accreditation Programs: According to the International Society for Quality in Healthcare, accreditation is a process “in which trained external peer reviewers evaluate a health care organization’s compliance with pre-established performance standards. Endorsement of healthcare simulation programs is an assurance that a program meets the standards and requirements set forth as guidelines. Accreditation and Endorsement are methods of external peer-evaluation to determine a healthcare simulation program’s consistent use of the best practices and healthcare simulation standards. This HealthySimulation.com article will explore the options for simulation program accreditation and endorsement.
Healthcare Simulation Dictionary: The Society for Simulation in Healthcare is a healthcare simulation organization that was designed to improve performance and reduce errors in patient care through the use of simulation. To help simulationists and learners worldwide become able to better identify clinical simulation terms, the organization created a healthcare simulation dictionary and released updated versions to meet the needs of the medical simulation community. The second edition (2.1) is currently available and helps enhance communication and clarity for healthcare simulationists in teaching, education, assessment, research, and systems integration activities.
Healthcare Simulation Director: A Healthcare Simulation Director is a leadership role in a Healthcare Simulation Center or Simulation Program. A Healthcare Simulation Director is an executive administrator and manager of technical and education staff support. The Healthcare Simulation Director role involves not only operational management but also supports instructor and clinical simulation courses provided.
Healthcare Simulation Standards: Healthcare Simulation Standards promote, guide, and maintain a safe, competent clinical practice. Professional clinical standards can be set through state and national licensure boards, certification boards, accreditation, and credential organizations. The purpose of these clinical simulation standards is to promote best evidence-based practices for all stakeholders to promote learning and professional development in a psychologically safe environment. Multiple professional organizations have developed healthcare simulation standards to promote best practices in clinical simulation programs. Each organization’s simulation standards will be reviewed.
Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice: The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) has developed the “INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation” to advance the science of simulation, share best practices, and provide evidence-based guidelines for implementation and training. Developing a set of best practices can help any healthcare simulation flourish, as these guidelines help promote successful learning and training outcomes. These Standards provide a detailed process for evaluating and improving simulation operating procedures and delivery methods that every simulation team will benefit from. Adoption of the “INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation” demonstrates a commitment to quality and implementation of rigorous evidence-based practices in healthcare education to improve patient care by complying with practice standards.
HealthStream: HealthStream is an information technology and services company that is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through the development of healthcare organizations’ greatest asset: their people. The company’s unified suite of solutions is contracted by, collectively, approximately 4.8 million healthcare employees in the U.S. for workforce development, training and learning management, talent management, credentialing, privileging, provider enrollment, performance assessment, and managing healthcare simulation-based education programs.
High-Fidelity Patient Simulator: High Fidelity Simulation is a healthcare education methodology that involves the use of sophisticated life-like manikins (sometimes called mannequins) in realistic patient environments. Simulation scenarios can take place anywhere, from austere environments for EMS or Military Simulations, to clinical environments like surgical simulation inside a simulation centers. These complex manikins, which are also known as human patient simulators or high-fidelity simulators mimic human anatomy and physiology.
HTC Vive: HTC Vive is designing Virtual Reality (VR) to enable healthcare organizations to provide the next generation of professionals with the tools they need to meet the demands of 21st-century healthcare education. For decades, healthcare organizations, universities, and hospitals have used simulations to provide students with risk-free, hands-on environments to hone their skills. Recently, these organizations have begun expanding beyond physical simulations to include virtual reality.
Human Patient Simulator: One of the newest teaching modalities in health education is the use of human patient simulators (HPS) for healthcare simulation. A Human Patient Simulator is a life-like manikin designed to react physiologically, as if the product were a real-life patient. This is possible because ever-advancing technology has made the production of computer software that can be integrated into the manikins possible. Other names for these devices include high fidelity patient simulators, patient simulators, mannequins, medical simulators, nursing simulators, ob simulators, surgical simulators, pediatric simulators and more.
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International Nursing Association for Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL): The International Nursing Association for Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL) is an association dedicated to advancing the science of healthcare simulation. With over 1,800 members worldwide, the organization’s mission is to be the global leader in the art and science of healthcare simulation through excellence in nursing education, practice, and research. INACSL’s goal is also to advance the science of nursing simulation by providing professional development, networking resources, and leadership in defining healthcare simulation standards of best practice. INACSL membership provides the education, resources, and tools that best address current challenges and help support learner, educator, and professional goals related to the learning of healthcare simulation’s latest developments. This is while ensuring that these individuals are enabled to provide the most comprehensive education and training for high-quality patient care. Whether someone is new to healthcare simulation and is looking to understand the fundamentals or are experienced and seeking the latest updates and research, INACSL can provide them with the support they need. Membership in INACSL is based on connection, engagement, support, and inspiration.
IMSH 2025: IMSH 2025, aka the 2025 International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare, is hosted every year by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) in a major city in the United States. Dedicated to healthcare simulation research and learning, the event provides an opportunity for “Simulation Champions” from around the world to come together to network with peers, learn from experts, and see the latest medical simulation innovations. IMSH 2025 will occur in Orlando, Florida, from January 10th to January 14, 2025. As updates become available, more conference information will be added to this HealthySimulation.com page.
IMSH 2026: IMSH 2026, aka the 2026 International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare, is hosted every year by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) in a major city in the United States. Dedicated to healthcare simulation research and learning, the event provides an opportunity for “Simulation Champions” from around the world to come together to network with peers, learn from experts, and see the latest medical simulation innovations and simulators like those from Laerdal, Elevate Healthcare, Education Management Solutions, Medical Shipment, SimX, Avkin, TacMed Solutions, WISER, UbiSim, OMS, HTC Vive and many more. IMSH 2026 will occur in San Antonio, Texas, from January 10-14, 2026. As updates become available, more conference information will be added to this HealthySimulation.com page.
IMSH 2027: IMSH 2027, aka the International Meeting for Simulation in Healthcare, is hosted every year by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) in a major city in the United States. This healthcare simulation conference is considered one of the largest in the world, and is primarily dedicated to healthcare simulation research and learning which provides “Simulation Champions” to come together to network with peers, learn from experts, and see the latest medical simulation innovations. Participating vendors usually include leading corporations such as and simulators like those Laerdal, Elevate Healthcare, Education Management Solutions, Medical Shipment, SimX, Avkin, TacMed Solutions, WISER, UbiSim, OMS, HTC Vive and many more. IMSH 2027 will occur in New Orleans, Louisiana, from January 23-27, 2027. As updates become available, more conference information will be added to this HealthySimulation.com page.
IKONA Health: IKONA Health combines clinical expertise, science, technology and storytelling to deliver an interactive virtual reality healthcare simulation learning platform that is accessible on VR headsets (hardware provided) as well as on computers and mobile devices. Headquartered in New York City, IKONA Health provides a smarter way for kidney care providers to deliver effective and measurable learning experiences to their patients and staff.
InSimo: InSimo is a surgical simulation software company that specializes in surgical training and education to reduce medical error and improve learner outcomes. Their surgical simulator technologies focus on fostering the development of next-generation medical patient simulators that are faster to produce and highly realistic, allowing for broader commercial offerings and novel uses. By reproducing complicated cases through medical simulation, InSimo extends new opportunities to train a large number of surgeons in less time. The company believes that to reproduce the reality of the operating room, surgeons must be able to feel and see a faithful reproduction of each act during surgery to learn, reproduce and improve their techniques. To keep up with the ever-evolving field of medicine, InSimo’s surgical training simulators are constantly integrating new technologies across clinical simulation scenarios.
Infant Manikin: These life-like patient simulators represents the body of a newborn patient. These products are known to offer effective infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training without compromising realism or quality. Furthermore, the convenient packaging of these manikins makes hands-on practice affordable for every learner. Note that there are a wide range of infant-based educational manikins available, ranging from more basic products geared towards educating high school students to more advanced simulators used to train emergency and pediatric medical teams.
INSPIRE: The International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Research, Innovation and Education (INSPIRE) is a collaborative group of healthcare professionals whose goal is to improve the lives of children through healthcare simulation. INSPIRE was established in 2011 and built loosely around institutions and researchers who are currently collaborating on multi-center simulation research, as well as those who have completed and/or are awaiting new projects to join. Together, medical simulation experts, clinicians, educators, investigators, statisticians, human factors researchers and psychologists work to serve as a global community that catalyzes discoveries and promotes collaboration in simulation-based research, scholarship and innovation. Although INSPIRE was designed to be pediatric, the organization now has members from multiple clinical disciplines, including internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, psychiatry and anesthesiology. Engagement with this group may prove useful for those with research questions relevant to children’s health.
iRIS: iRIS Health Solutions is a United Kingdom-based software company that provides an innovative and engaging web-based healthcare simulation scenario authoring platform to organizations worldwide. The technology helps clinical simulation educators to easily design, develop and manage high-quality training simulation scenarios in collaboration with peers and subject matter experts by using a step-by-step wizard. Best of all, the solution allows users to export scenarios straight to manikins and other technologies from most leading simulation vendors. This includes Laerdal, CAE, UbiSim, and now iSimulate.
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Kognito is a healthcare simulation company that develops virtual simulation training scenarios that train providers to lead real-life conversations regarding social, emotional and physical health. Founded in 2003 and based in New York City, the company’s virtual humans conversation simulations provide an exciting new opportunity to effectively deliver behavioral change outcomes. Composed of a team of scientists, artists and technologists, Kognito works to improve patient-provider communication, collaborative care and health outcomes. The company strives to help health professionals, consumers and caregivers to lead meaningful real-life conversation through role-play simulations.
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Labster: Labster is a healthcare simulation company that develops advanced medical lab courses founded on mathematical algorithms that support open-ended investigations. The company’s simulated lab courses combine the open-ended investigations with gamification elements such as an immersive 3D universe, story-telling and a scoring system. Labster leverages technology to create scalable science training software with increased learning outcomes and motivation. The vision is to truly empower the next generation of educators, medical professionals, and scientists to change the world. Focusing on revolutionizing the way science is taught to learners across the world, Labster has come to offer a simulated virtual laboratory.
Laparoscopic Simulator: A Lap Simulator is a minimally-invasive surgical simulation training tool intended for learners and medical professionals alike. Laparoscopic training simulators are tools that can be used in training scenarios focused on laparoscopic surgery, as they demonstrate virtually all major abdominal surgical procedures. With Laparoscopic Surgery Simulators, learners can begin to familiarize themselves with the performance methodologies.
LifeLike BioTissue: LifeLike BioTissue is a healthcare simulation company specializing in simulated tissues for surgical training and medical device validation. Behaving like real tissue, the company’s medical simulator materials and models mimic the mechanical properties, feel and anatomy of the human body. These task trainers offer unique learning experiences!
Lumeto: Lumeto is a software development company that was founded in 2021 to enable the future of work through an advanced XR simulation, training, and skills assessment platform named Involve XR. The platform enables institutions looking to deploy data-driven, enterprise-grade, immersive training and assessment across their workforce. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the company operates across the healthcare and safety fields, with the goal to enhance learning outcomes tied to individual and team decision-making, problem-solving, de-escalation, and complex procedures.
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Medical Simulation Course: A medical simulation course is an academic learning experience guided by a healthcare simulation-specific curriculum or focus. Learners often enroll in medical simulation courses to gain knowledge or expertise on a particular element of clinical simulation, such as nursing simulation, virtual simulation, moulage, and more. Many universities, institutions, and healthcare facilities now have medical simulation courses available to both learners and professionals so that they can help work toward great patient safety and lower rates of medical error across medicine. Today, there are multiple ways a medical simulation course can be presented. For example, these healthcare simulation learning experiences can be taught in person on campus or take place in a clinic. The COVID-19 pandemic places a greater need for virtual learning, and now an increasing number of medical simulation courses are available for completion online, with modules available on any laptop or computer. In addition to remote learning, there also now exists the possibility to take classes in the Metaverse.
Medical Shipment: A premium supplier of simulation nursing supplies and equipment, this company’s goal is to ensure the products they provide fit the need of healthcare educational programs, at a competitive rate, with customer service at the core of our values. They carry an extensive range of products and services, including medication administration training devices, patient simulators, IV Pumps, medical supplies and more. The Medical Shipment catalog, among other products, includes: Manikins, Monitors, Medical Supplies, Labels, Gloves, Med Admin Carts, IV Diagnostic system, simulated patient medications and more.
Moulage Concepts: Moulage Concepts serves the moulage needs of varied healthcare simulation training communities. The company helps bridge the gap in healthcare simulation by training leaders to optimize performance through scenario development. Founded by Bobbie Merica, CEO, Moulage Concepts highlights the need to create interactive training that meets clinical simulation needs including competency, patient safety, and emergency preparedness.
Moulage Sciences and Training: Moulage Sciences and Training (MST) offers a variety of training courses designed to help you reach your greatest potential in the field of moulage. In addition to their standard course catalog, custom classes can be designed and delivered to meet your unique requirements. Moulage Sciences and Training instructors have an extensive professional background, including special effects makeup for film and television, fine art, and science.
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National Patient Safety Board: The time for a world where medical providers are better supported to eliminate errors and where patients can trust that the healthcare system will do all it can to keep them safe is now. To achieve this, The NPSB Policy & Advocacy Coalition was established in February 2021. Proposed as an independent federal agency to conduct centralized studies into medical mishaps and systemic breakdowns to prevent future catastrophes, the NPSB Policy, and Advocacy Coalition represents providers, consumers, health plans, patient safety groups, employers, and other purchasers of healthcare, technology companies, foundations, and universities.
National League for Nursing (NLN): The National League for Nursing (NLN) has been involved in nursing simulation and clinical simulation research for numerous years. HealthySimulation.com signed a media partnership to support the NLN in May of 2023. In 2003 the National League for Nursing, through a grant from the Laerdal Medical Corporation, began a three-year, multisite study to explore how to design and implement simulations as a teaching strategy and evaluate selected learning outcomes using simulations. As a result of this research, the Jeffries Simulation Framework was developed. The NLN/Jeffries Simulation Theory evolved from the simulation framework in 2015. This HealthySimulation.com page will explore the contributions of NLN to clinical simulation.
NLN SIRC: The National League for Nursing (also known as the NLN) established the Simulation Innovation Resource Center (SIRC) to advance healthcare simulation in nursing education. With a collaborative alliance between the NLN and Laerdal Medical, the SIRC’s goal is to develop a community of nurse educators who can effectively use healthcare simulation to promote and evaluate learning. The organization’s mission is to promote excellence across this nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community.
Noldus Information Technology: Noldus, also known as Noldus Information Technology, develops software, instruments, integrated systems and services for behavioral research including recording systems for debriefing purposes in healthcare simulation. These solutions are designed to provide scientists and practitioners the ability to enhance the quality of their data, increase productivity and make optimal use of human resources. The company is inspired by scientific and societal challenges , and wants to help ensure customers can respond to the demands of today and prepare for those of tomorrow. With Noldus solutions, users will gain the insight they need in processes, human performance, and communication in medical simulation. This is true regardless of whether their objective is to answer a research question, provide high quality medical education or assess team performance. To help customers improve research, engineering, teaching and training, the company’s open solutions facilitate data exchange and insights discovery. This allows them to come to results rapidly and easily — anytime and anywhere — while safeguarding privacy and security.
Nordic Simulators: Nordic Simulators is an education company that develops and manufactures technological solutions for learning environments in various fields including healthcare simulation. Headquartered in Lahti, Southern Finland, the company’s services cover space and action plans made on the basis of needs assessments, technical implementations and pedagogical aspects. Nordic Simulators’ product range includes A/V recording solutions with virtual reality facilities. They also include sound and special effects for fixed clinical simulation training rooms and easy-to-use recording solutions for mobile training. Learners and educators can enter the realm of clinical simulation training by leveraging Nordic Simulators’ international expertise and experience in designing and implementing functional learning environments. The company’s maintenance services operate flexibly and reliably, ensuring a smooth and productive customer training experience.
Nursing Simulation Scenario: A Nursing Simulation Scenario is a clinical simulation event that replicates a nursing practice or situation. A nursing simulation scenario incorporates high-fidelity or mid-fidelity manikins, standardized participants (SPs), role-playing, skills stations, and critical thinking skills. The purpose of these scenarios in nursing education is to provide skills practice and real-life situations in a safe environment. The benefits of using nursing simulation scenarios in healthcare education are numerous. Common scenarios and available resources can help health simulation centers and their learners succeed.
Nursing Mannequin: A Nursing Mannequin, more commonly referred to as a Nursing Manikin, is a lifelike patient simulator used to represent real-world nursing scenarios. The purpose of a Nursing Mannequin is to provide learners and trainees with the ability to extend their knowledge by experiencing some potential nursing scenarios in nursing simulation training or educational settings, prior to on a real-life patients. Such clinical simulation enables learners to be better prepared for a variety of patient care scenarios they will encounter at work.
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OB Simulator: An OB Simulator, or an Obstetrics simulator, is a speciality manikin that realistically mimics a woman in the pregnancy phase/terms to labor and delivery to immediate postpartum phase. OB simulators can allow learners to practice care of the pregnant patient in a variety of environments that includes: office, home, pre-hospital, and hospital. These healthcare simulators can help learners to identify at-risk conditions early and manage to prevent further complications.
OSSO VR: OSSO VR is a virtual reality surgical simulation training and assessment platform. The company, founded in 2016 in Palo Alto, Ca., is made up of practicing clinicians, professional medical VR simulation developers and medtech industry veterans. OSSO VR specializes in hyper-realistic, haptic-enhanced, hands-on interactivity and design.
Operative Experience Inc. (OEI): Operative Experience Inc. makes hands-in-the-body medical simulators for obstetrics, trauma and surgical training. These healthcare simulation manikins are characterized by high anatomic fidelity and life-like tissue that can be incised, sutured and retracted using standard surgical instruments. Headquartered in North East, Maryland, Operative Experience Inc.’s mission is to revolutionize surgical and medical team training. Using these high-fidelity simulation makins, and with a rigorous experiential instructional paradigm, OEI works to reduce training costs while increasing training effectiveness and retention. The company is dedicated to applying this medical simulation technology throughout the continuum of care, from tactical operations in the field to emergency procedures in the operating room. Operative Experience Inc. is constantly considering research and partnerships that can expand the company’s surgical product line. For procedures that destroy tissue, OEI either provides modular replacements, cost effective refurbishments or low cost task trainers. Task trainers enable repetitive cost effective practice to proficiency in a surgical component, prior to a more expansive surgery. Orientation and on-site training is also available.
ORamaVR: ORamaVR is a science-based deep technology business that works to provide innovative solutions across the healthcare simulation and medical training fields. Using cutting-edge virtual reality clinical simulation tools, the company offers a proprietary, psychomotor, gamified multi-user VR software platform that is based on state-of-the-art research by world-renowned scientists.
OtoSim: Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, OtoSim Inc. is a healthcare simulation company focused on otoscopy and ophthalmoscopy training. The company’s simulation units and processes can be used to train medical learners in otoscopy, or the use of an otoscope to examine the ear. According to OtoSim, clinical studies have shown a 44% improvement in the diagnostic efficiency of learners who used the company products for training compared to regular classroom training alone. For this reason, the company’s goal has remained to enhance patient safety outcomes through better training of primary healthcare providers, with effective and innovative medical simulation tools.
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PCS: For some companies, healthcare simulation is not just a market, but a calling that cannot be escaped. This is true for PCS – a company that started in 2015 and has helped revolutionize patient safety. PCS’s AI-driven patient simulation technology includes virtual patients, wearable simulation, and smart manikins. Further, the company helps clinical simulation centers digitally debrief sessions when the previous alternative was handing out VHS tapes. PCS has also role-played distressed teenager patients to be able to build on a hands-on experience of healthcare simulation.
Pediatric Simulator: These specialized simulators are life-like manikins that represents the body of a child which is utilized in medical simulation to help educate and train healthcare professionals. These pediatric simulation manikins are known to offer features such as realistic hands, feet, fingers and toes, soft upper body skin over a hard upper body for a realistic feel, jointed elbows, wrists, knees and ankles, a fully articulating head and jaw with teeth and tongue and much more to increase learning outcomes. In healthcare, peds are considered a speciality of medicine and nursing due to the stark differences in clinical protocol related to the care of a child versus an adult patient. As such, clinicians should be educated and trained with human patient simulators that most closely resemble pediatric patients.
Pharmacy Simulation: Healthcare Simulation has been incorporated into the Doctor of Pharmacy and their accreditation, The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The ACPE is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Accreditation Standards and Key Elements for the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degreehas established guidelines to guide professional education of the doctorally-prepared pharmacy programs. These standards describe areas where programs can experiment and innovate within the didactic and experiential components of their curricula to meet the required Educational Outcomes. Contemporary educational concepts are incorporated into the curriculum for competency-based student readiness to meet the need to be advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE-ready), provide direct patient care in a variety of healthcare settings (Practice-ready), and ability to contribute as a member of an interprofessional collaborative patient care team (Team ready).
Practi-Meds is a line of simulated medication products owned by Wallcur, which is a simulated medications and practi-products company that specializes in high-quality practice medications for all professional healthcare educators. Wallcur provides simulation solutions, such as the Practi-Meds line, to help create learning opportunities for Nurses, Pharmacists, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), medical corps professionals and other allied health program trainees around the world.
Precision OS: Precision OS is an innovative orthopedic virtual reality in simulation software that combines orthopedic surgeons with high-end game developers who work together to enhance the expertise of surgical simulation training worldwide. In 2017, Precision OS was founded to address these gaps in surgical training by combining proven educational principles with realistic, lifelike experiences through VR in simulation. The vision of Precision OS is to forever change the way Physicians acquire knowledge and skill, but at a fraction of the cost and time.
PeriopSim: PeriopSim is an iPad and virtual reality experience-based simulation training solution for clinical educators in the operating room. The solution was created by Conquer Mobile, and is now owned and operated by Conquer Experience, a healthcare simulation computer software company that specializes in training OR teams when experience is in short supply.
Pocket Nurse: This US-based Nurse Owned and operated company makes and distributes medical supplies and equipment for healthcare simulation and education in medicine, nursing, EMS, pharmacy and other allied health groups. The company’s products are extensively used in nursing simulation, but have application across the entire range of the medical simulation industry. Pocket Nurse began business in 1992 with one product, the Pocket Nurse pocket organizer. This organizer was so popular, it led the way to the production and sale of over 5600 products which now includes manikins from Laerdal, moulage tools, and headwalls. The company was founded and owned by a nurse, Anthony Battaglia — who still oversees the company to this day. One of Pocket Nurse’s most popular product lines is their Demo Dose medications. The company has been consistently willing to create new practice medications and packaging to match changing clinical practice. Medical simulation should mimic real life situations as much as possible as this adds fidelity to simulation scenarios. Having medications and packages that closely resemble actual medications used in practice provides familiarity for learners which in turn, helps them transition from the classroom to clinical practice.
Polhemus: Polhemus is a 3D motion tracking technology company that delivers six degrees of freedom motion measurement systems, digitizing products, eye-tracking systems and handheld 3D laser scanners which are all commonly used in medical simulation systems. Headquartered in Colchester, Vermont, the company has been working to produce and distribute cutting-edge applications across the world for over 40 years, establishing patient safety through medical simulator solutions. The Polhemus brand delivers high performance and cost-effective solutions with sensors that are low latency and completely embeddable. Polhemus products can be found throughout an array of applications, including biomechanics, virtual reality, training simulators, image guided surgery, orthotics and prosthetics, military guidance systems and others.
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SESAM: The Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM) is a healthcare simulation organization designed to encourage and support the use of simulation in healthcare for the purpose of training and research. Not affiliated with any medical or other specialties, the organization includes members with wide and varied backgrounds from within healthcare and medical education. All members have an interest and passion in medical simulation, and together they form a dynamic clinical simulation community filled with international protagonists of medical simulation across all of Europe. With the aim to ensure the integration of simulation methodologies at all levels of healthcare as a tool to improve healthcare, SESAM’s vision is to improve healthcare through healthcare simulation. In doing so, SESAM hopes to enable safe, patient-centered care delivered by a competent and confident healthcare workforce in a well-functioning healthcare system.
Simulation Training in Healthcare: Simulation Training in Healthcare is an educational method that includes a range of realistic and immersive replicas of clinical practice, policy, scenarios, tasks, and equipment. Healthcare simulation training has a number of purposes. This includes but is not limited to: education, assessment, research, latent safety threat identification, environmental testing and integration of policy and procedure into the healthcare environment.
Symgery: Symgery is an education service provider focused on facilitating, empowering, and engaging surgeons to realize safer surgical experiences and achieve better patient outcomes. The company provides surgical simulators and planning tools that enable surgeons to learn and deliberately practice surgical procedures without risk to their patients. Founded in 2020, Symgery is headquartered in Montréal, Quebec, and specializes in orthopedic surgery simulation, virtual training simulator, software development for medical simulation, the education, and training of medical learners, spine simulation, trauma simulation, total joint simulation, high fidelity simulation, haptic feedback, orthopaedic residency, spine residency, neurosurgical resident, neurosurgery, hip and knee simulation, and VR simulation. With Symgery solutions, learners can discover immersive and progressive learning experiences using high-fidelity simulation that mirrors real-life clinical scenarios. To achieve these outcomes, the Symgery team imagines, creates, and crafts learning experiences that go beyond traditional teaching, with a unique blend of technologies, practical techniques, and proven methodologies.
Simulation Fellowships: There are many ways for healthcare simulation learners to gain knowledge and experience across the medical field, including acceptance to a fellowship. Known for their commitment to professional development, these programs help individual learners often through intensive training. Such training can include fieldwork, research, independent study, organizational work, graduate study, and more. Ultimately, the primary advantage of a fellowship is the ability to encounter unique experiences that are not typically available to someone in school or who are just starting out in an entry-level position. Typically short-term opportunities, fellowships can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, and in some cases upwards of a year. They are normally sponsored by an organization, institution, association, or government agency, and eligibility requirements are thereby set by the respective sponsor. A possible applicant qualification could include a record of achievement in healthcare education, as provided by letters of reference, publications, teaching evaluations, or prior specialized training or experience in medical education. Also depending on the fellowship sponsor, there may exist the opportunity to acquire nationally competitive grants, scholarships, and other funding opportunities. Today, many fellowship sponsors also present two means of enrollment: either in-person or online. The duration of a fellowship may be impacted by whether the program is online or in-person.
Simulation Program: A simulation program is an educational initiative that allows learners to hone in on and practice new healthcare skills, all while improving patient safety outcomes and ultimately reducing medical errors. The goal is to deliver high-quality, realistic simulated clinical learning experiences in both discipline-specific and interprofessional environments to prepare for an evolving healthcare system. Another goal of simulation programs is to improve the competence and performance of specific simulation-based practices. This is achieved through the development of critical thinking and applying effective teamwork and communication strategies. Healthcare simulation programs often exist across university degree programs and within medical facilities to assist in the training of learners and professionals alike. While simulation programs may encompass different focuses/disciplines and utilize individualized solutions and technology, there are several components that tend to remain consistent. For example, most medical simulation programs rely on manikins, moulage, virtual reality, standardized patients (SPs), and other clinical solutions to best convey healthcare simulation principles.
Surgical Simulator: A surgical simulator is a healthcare simulation tool that can be used as a way for learners to practice surgical procedures without posing any risk to real patients. Surgical simulators can be designed specifically for a particular procedure, or more generally to be able to be used for several types of procedures (like laparoscopic surgery). As a number of clinical simulation vendors now produce these effective training solutions, surgical simulators are more accessible than ever before. This is important as the healthcare industry continues to strive for heightened patient safety standards.Moving toward this goal, some professional licenses and certifications have even come to require that the use of a surgical simulation be completed before program completion. For example, the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) certification by SAGES is one of the healthcare licenses that require skills demonstration through the timed performance of surgical simulation exams. This certification includes a comprehensive web-based education module that extends a hands-on skills training component and assessment tool. The tool is designed to teach physiology, fundamental knowledge, and technical skills required in basic laparoscopic surgery.
Sentinel U: Sentinel U, formerly Healthcare Learning Innovations, is an e-learning company that works to meet the evolving needs of healthcare education and training by providing simulation-based technologies and virtual learning tools. Founded in 2013, Sentinel U helps advance nursing academic education and healthcare professional training through virtual clinicals that are engaging, effective, and economic. Aligning outcomes with AACN BSN Essentials, QSEN Competencies, and NCLEX categories, Sentinel U provides nursing learners and practicing nurses with online simulations that are convenient to safely practice healthcare and patient scenarios anywhere, at any time, while earning virtual clinical hours.
Serious Games: A “serious game,” also known as an applied game, is a computer-based program that is designed for both entertainment and learning purposes, by simulating real-world scenarios. These applied games are often applicable across healthcare simulation education and training, with the learning tools able to accurately convey how a procedure or skill is meant to be performed in the field. By combining elements of entertainment with healthcare simulation, learners are able to master these skills in an environment that is engaging, is risk-free and promotes patient safety. Research has proven that video games improve performance of surgeons, and that they are a practical method for healthcare simulation training. They also allow learners to make their own decisions and begin to understand what is happening at each point during a serious game’s progression.
Simucase: Simucase is an innovative educational platform that allows speech-language pathology, audiology, occupational therapy and physical therapy learners to evaluate and treat a library of virtual patients. This personalized learning platform is designed to help learners succeed by offering a means to observe, assess, diagnose and provide intervention for virtual patients through interactive clinical simulations and repeated practice. Founded in 2000, the resource uses the latest in healthcare simulation technology to simultaneously encourage critical thinking and facilitate alternative clinical education in a no-risk learning environment, increasing patient safety.
Simulation Canada: Simulation Canada (formerly known as SIM-one and the Canadian Network for Simulation in Healthcare) is Canada’s interprofessional, cross-sector network for the advancement of healthcare simulation. SIM-one and the Canadian Network for Simulation in Healthcare completed their integration in September 2017 to establish Simulation Canada, a new, interprofessional simulation network. Ever since, the nonprofit organization has served to connect clinical simulation community members, facilities and resources across Canada and beyond. Simulation Canada advocates for and advances medical learning through simulations to benefit patient safety and care.
Sim2grow: Nursing simulation company sim2GROW is the developer of a medication administration system, which serves as an all-inclusive system addressing two major limitations encountered by nursing education programs. These limitations relate to teaching best practices of medication administration: price point and fidelity. With this in mind, sim2grow’s medication administration system offers low-cost solutions with a high-tech feel, allowing for unlimited high-stakes skill practice in the safety of a nursing lab.
Sim Lab: A Sim Lab is a healthcare simulation space designed to provide immersive learning experiences for learners and industry professionals. To provide these experiences, simulation labs often contain manikins, task trainers, simulated learning systems, simulated medications, video recording systems, debriefing software and other simulation equipment. They allow learners to practice the skills needed during real-life scenarios, increasing patient safety by minimizing the risk of medical error. Another goal is to improve overall patient care stemming from competency-based instruction. To further benefit clinicians and healthcare providers, the Sim Laboratory is a place where individuals can be brought together in working groups or teams to collaborate.
SimsUshare Command Training Center: The SimsUshare Command Training Center (CTC) is a healthcare simulation training solution that includes a virtual incident command simulator, fire simulator, Hazmat simulator, safety simulator and command training center. Founded in 2000, SimsUshare solutions offer a safe way for learners to improve training and skills on all fire and command hazards while maintaining patient safety. SimsUshare aims to improve the development and use of fire and safety simulations across learning environments for learners of all skill levels. With the SimsUshare CTC, educators can easily and rapidly create all-hazard training simulations using their own photos. They can choose to add realistic smoke, fire and other effects to create an unlimited number of incidents.
Simulated EHR: Simulated EHR, aka Simulated Electronic Health Records, is a simulated version of a patient’s digital medical history. Also referred to as Simulated EMR, or Simulated Electronic Medical Records, this electronically stored health information offers real-time patient-centered records that are instantly available, reliable, and secure — and in a simulated way that allows educators to teach and train learners in the best practices for managing patient records. EHR data can be used in any healthcare simulation lab to provide realistic patient cases for curricula, like that of an EMR instructor course. Going beyond treatment and diagnostic information, EHR Simulation offers more in-depth insight into a patient’s overall degree of wellness.
Simulation Recording System: A Simulation Recording System is an audio visual performance analysis system which is used to showcase medical simulation activities during a training module or scenario. These systems are designed so that both the participants in the simulated learning activity and learners not taking part in the scenario can be debriefed on successful actions and potential errors after each module is completed. Simulation Recording Systems operate through a series of cameras and microphones connected to a healthcare simulation debriefing system that allow instructors to create annotations during each learner’s training activities. Software features make real-time annotation playbacks possible, which helps guide learners and provide them with a sense of what they look like throughout the course of a simulation scenario.
Simulated Medications: Simulation Medications are practice meds designed to provide realistic clinical simulation practice. Using and interacting with simulated medications helps to prepare learners for what they may encounter in real patient scenarios. This includes being able to decipher and understand the packaging and labeling elements of pharmaceuticals and alternative medications. Healthcare Simulation, aka Medical Simulation, allows healthcare students and working professionals to educate and train in safe environments without risking medical error patient safety issues. Increasing readiness to practice in the field, Simulated Medications prepare learners during healthcare simulations for the actual packaging and labeling of real ampules, patches, oral medications, vials and more. Additionally, Simulated Medications can come in a variety of forms to help provide instruction on position-specific treatments.
Simulation Manikins: A Simulated Manikin is a trainer for product that provides a means by which learners and educators can practice their healthcare skills in real-time before attempting to assess or perform a treatment on a patient first-hand. While standardized (or “sample”) patients have been used across medical training since the mid-twentieth century, improving technologies have led to a number of advanced ways that digital patient simulation models can be represented through manikins. That being said, Simulation Manikins in healthcare simulation are used today for the purpose of advancing clinical skills through learning and assessment. This usage has demonstrated that advanced and expanded opportunities within healthcare learning can lead to ever-increasing safety measures. These simulated opportunities further create the opportunity for these learners and residents to develop and practice their skills beyond what is typically retained through a standard textbook education.
Simulation Australasia: Simulation Australasia (SimAust), previously known as Simulation Australia and which overseas the Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (ASSH), is a non-profit organization management body for simulation that provides a forum for those involved in simulation across Australasia. Founded in 1999, the forum was created to allow for the discussion and distribution of information, and to advance the research, development and use of simulation technologies.
SimGHOSTS: SimGHOSTS, also known as the The Gathering Of Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialists, is an international United States-based non-profit organization. The organization is dedicated to supporting individuals and institutions operating medical simulation technology and spaces through hands-on training events, online resources and professional development. As of 2019, over 2,000 simulation champions attended events all over the world. In addition to the annual event, SimGHOSTS also provides insight and information on a daily basis through the organization website. There are currently over 3,000 online subscribers to the website gaining access to courses, books, forum discussion boards and more!
Simbionix, recently acquired by Surgical Science, is a surgical simulation, training and education solutions company that specializes in 3D printing, software andVirtual anatomical models. The company was founded in 1997 in Littleton. The surgical simulation company provides a complete solution for clinical simulation training programs. Simbionix remains committed to the advancement of clinical performance and optimization of procedural outcomes through simulation education and collaboration. Simbionix’s state-of-the-art technology provides Surgeons, Interventionists, Nurses and Technicians with a platform to learn and master critical skills. The systems offer a range of basic and advanced procedures and medical specialties (like healthcare simulation in nursing education), and incorporate detail with complete metrics for overall skill assessment.
SmartMan is a healthcare simulation company that provides high-fidelity simulation systems focusing on emergency resuscitation. Each medical simulation system produced by SmartMan includes a simulation manikin, advanced sensors, analog to digital converters, software to display the performance data and tools to process the data. The training products are scientific instruments that provide accurate measurement of all parameters that relate to emergency skills performance. According to SmartMan, the product tolerances are well beyond what a person is able to perceive. The emergency simulators give learners and trainers a way to establish the proper objective evaluation of skills.
Surgical Science is a computer software company that has been serving as a leading supplier of virtual reality simulators and surgical simulators for medical training purposes for over 20 years. Headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, the healthcare simulation company produces training systems for laparoscopic and endoscopic simulation that are used by medical training centers and institutes worldwide for practice, proof of performance and certification of learners, surgeons and physicians. The mission of Surgical Science is to provide learners with a platform capable of training them in the fundamental and technical components involved in surgery before they set foot in an operating room environment. To achieve this goal, the company remains committed to providing state-of-the-art medical training simulators that focus on ease of use and validation.
SIMCharacters: SIMCharacters is a patient training, safety and consulting company that was founded in 2012 in Vienna, Austria by Dr. Jens-Christian Schwindt — a leading expert in neonatology and healthcare simulation education. Since the company was founded, SIMCharacters has broken new ground in the development of small patient simulators, and combines know-how in medicine, lifelike anatomy and high-class animation technology. The goal of SIMCharacters is to improve the quality of care of critically ill children, especially term and preterm infants. With this in mind, and along with design support from leading experts in healthcare, education, electrical manufacturing, animatronics and special effects, SIMCharacters created Paul. This highly-realistic preemie infant represents a 27 week born neonate with anatomically correct airway, weighing merely 1000 grams, measuring only 35 centimeters long and providing lifelike movement for an infant of such a young age. The manikin is designed to empower neonatology teams with high-fidelity simulation experiences, improve learning, patient safety and clinical care outcomes.
SimX: SimX, previously called SimXAR, is a healthcare software company specializing in medical simulation, virtual reality, augmented reality and medical training and education. The company brings virtual and augmented reality into the realm of healthcare simulation and training. The company was founded by physicians in training at Stanford, the University of California at San Francisco and University of California at Los Angeles. They understood that simulation practice and training is extremely beneficial to both learners and clinicians, and hoped to use virtual reality to make simulation cheaper and more accessible, to ultimately reduce medical error and increase patient safety. Seeking to push simulation forward, SimX developed a software system that was the first comprehensive professional-grade VR medical simulation system product available on the market. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, the platform allows medical teams to replace expensive manikins with incredibly flexible simulated patients, backed by a robust case creation engine.
Stratasys: Stratasys is a 3D printing and additive manufacturing company that is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel. For over 30 years, the company has been pioneering the future of office-based rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing solutions through the development of 3D printers and 3D production systems. Stratasys was founded by S. Scott Crump, along with his wife, Lisa H. Crump, in 1989. In April 1992 they sold the first company product, the 3D Modeler. A year later, in June 1993, Stratasys introduced its second product, the Benchtop. Following this release, Stratasys went public in October 1994 to acquire additional funds to expand the company’s engineering capabilities. At the forefront of Stratasys push for prototyping and manufacturing advancement, the company’s 3D printers, materials, software, professional services and on-demand parts have the ability to transform a product lifecycle from design through manufacturing and end use parts.
SECTRA AB: SECTRA AB is an information technology and services company that was founded in 1978 in Linköping, Sweden by Viiveke Fåk, Ingemar Ingemarsson, Rolf Blom and Robert Forchheimer which now provides educational and training tools for medical simulation. Through developing solutions and services for medical imaging IT and cybersecurity, the company has helped hospitals using healthcare simulation worldwide to enhance their efficiency of care, critical social functions and authorities as well as defense forces. Identifying that medical images play a key role in diagnostics and the determination of an appropriate treatment, SECTRA AB develops “future-proof and effective IT solutions and services” for storing, viewing and working with these images. By focusing on what some consider to be the costliest and most resource-intensive areas in the healthcare sector, SECTRA AB offers support across the diagnosis, planning and patient monitoring in terms of cancer diseases, osteoarthritis and orthopaedic surgery. The company also focuses on helping various departments and disciplines cooperate for better and more efficient care.
SimVS: SimVS has emerged as a trailblazer in developing affordable simulated medical device technology. With a groundbreaking line of virtual patient monitors, assessment devices, IV Pumps, defibrillators, and more, SimVS has revolutionized how medical professionals and clinical students train and practice skills. Today, SimVS is one of the world’s most successful providers of simulated medical device monitors, boasting thousands of unit installations on devices across the globe.
Sim Center: A Healthcare Sim Center is a location where healthcare education that involves experiential learning is conducted. A sim center is a dedicated area within a healthcare education building, medical center, or training facility which is devoted to medical simulation. A lot of sim centers have larger facilities with multiple simulation labs designated, whereas, smaller spaces with only a single lab may be named as simulation laboratories or simulation spaces. Sim Centers are designed specifically to meet the needs of the learners and key stakeholders through the incorporation of different modalities, equipment, and strategies. Sim Centers provide experiential learning opportunities to a variety of learners and can utilize multiple modalities to achieve learning objectives.
Standardized Patient: The conceptual origin of the SPs dates back to 1963, when Dr. Howard S. Barrows MD, a neurologist and medical educator, created the first standardized patient in 1963 for his third-year neurology clerkship while teaching at the University of Southern California. By directly observing the students, Barrows and the physician SP realized that a number of skills were being incorrectly performed because students were unaware of the inaccuracy. Barrows also experienced difficulties when he tried to find patients with specific findings for Psychiatry and Neurology board examinations for and realized that some findings could be simulated. Thus Barrows was inspired to create his first “simulated patient.” The birth of the simulated patient came out of a need for a more comprehensive method to evaluate the clinical skills of third-year medical students. In the 1960s, Barrows’ innovative teaching and assessment methodologies were not widely accepted amongst his peers but eventually they would become the standard for educating and training specialties within healthcare!
SonoSim: The manufacturer of an Ultrasound Simulator designed to help simplify ultrasound learning initiatives. As a non-invasive and non-radioactive imaging alternative, ultrasound has become an indispensable skill for healthcare imaging and diagnostic professionals, as well as Physicians. This means that learning how to operate ultrasound equipment and produce clear images has become ever-important within the field of healthcare, and clinical simulation is the best way to achieve learning and training goals.
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TacMed Solutions: From point of injury throughout the continuum of clinical care; warfighters, first responders, and citizens alike, all rely on extensive tactical field experience and product knowledge to supply intuitive solutions. TacMed Medical Solutions develops and manufactures customized emergency response technology, advanced healthcare simulation, training aids, and personal protective gear to effectively manage a spectrum of hostile environments and injuries. The company’s passion is to serve and protect the health of communities, both at home and abroad. TacMed’s commitment to this life-saving mission is only matched by the integrity of the company’s team, the durability of products, and renowned customer support services.
TEAMSTEPPS: TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based set of teamwork tools designed to optimize patient outcomes through the improvement of communication and teamwork skills among healthcare simulation professionals. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the U.S. Department of Defense developed TeamSTEPPS in the mid-2000s with healthcare organizations in mind. Today, TeamSTEPPS offers a 2.5-day train-the-trainer course to educate instructors and coaches in content fundamentals, providing the knowledge and training to implement and coach the desired behaviors to achieve results.
Telesimulation: Telesimulation is a novel teaching process by which telecommunication and healthcare simulation resources are used to provide education, training and assessment to learners at an off-site location. Usually, a telesimulation event is designed to represent a simulated telemedicine meeting, but could also refer to distance-based learning opportunities for “off campus” simulated training. While medical simulation modules can be completed from remote environments, the ability to teleconference simulation across geographical barriers promotes active learning of realistic scenarios and conditions without having to be physically present in the sim lab room. The telesimulation mode of education has become an especially important training method across healthcare simulation during the coronavirus pandemic to limit possible virus exposure.
The Debriefing Academy: is a healthcare education company that provides the advanced content, strategies and tools necessary to transform debriefing conversations into vehicles of change within healthcare and medical simulation environments. The company offers an immersive 3.5-day course that focuses on improving debriefing skills by weaving together several important elements of debriefing and feedback in practice. This course offers learning experiences designed to enhance the impact of debriefing conversations within businesses, organizations and simulation centers. By taking The Debriefing Academy courses, leaders can help fuel their understanding, transform their workplace and forge the future generation of administrators within their respective teams.
The Chamberlain Group is a medical simulation company that designs, develops and manufactures anatomically accurate healthcare simulation models, aka medical simulators. These simulated training products can capture the consistency and response of living tissue, providing an alternative to the use of animals and cadavers during interventional training. The company has a studio headquartered in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where the organs are built. Working in close collaboration with other medical device companies and teaching hospitals in 50 countries, the Chamberlain Group is able to meet procedural training objectives with clean, smart clinical simulation solutions. The products produced help illuminate, educate and differentiate learners across the world.
TruCorp: This medical simulation training device company specializes in anatomically correct airway management simulators, emergency simulators and surgical simulation trainers. In addition to medical training manikins, the company also offers a regional anesthesia trainer and an app for healthcare professionals. TruCorp designs, engineers and produces a wide variety of these simulation manikins while remaining committed to healthcare best practices and patient wellbeing. The company’s products, which are used globally, come in both adult and paediatric models. The patient manikins meet the training needs of learners in universities, hospitals, emergency service organizations, simulation centers and other academic/training environments.
TacMed Solutions (formerly Trauma F/X) is an innovative medical simulation and training technology development company that works to improve survivability of severe injuries on the battlefield and in civilian casualty situations. The healthcare simulation company specializes in high-fidelity, ruggedized simulators that deliver a lifelike experience for trainees, creating situation awareness while enabling field exercises in any environment or weather condition. According to Tactical Medical Solutions, the difference between the company’s patient simulators and others can be defined by three R’s: realistic, rugged and responsive. First, as the products are designed by award-winning Hollywood special effects artists, TacMed is able to deliver a look and feel more lifelike than other simulation manikin systems.
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UbiSim: UbiSim is a multidisciplinary team of nursing educators, healthcare simulation experts, software engineers and 3D artists, working to combine nursing simulation and virtual reality for an immersive learning experience. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, the company’s goal is to make nursing simulation more affordable, more accessible and more realistic than ever. Using unique benefits presented through immersive virtual reality in medicine, UbiSim offers a complete simulation lab on a flexible platform. This allows the user to create and experience realistic clinical situations without needing to access physical simulation centers that are often booked months ahead of time.
Ultrasound Simulator: In achieving educational outcomes, these computer-based simulators mimic the ultrasound image produced within a computer. The methods to simulate ultrasound images can be categorized into interpolative, generative image-based and generative model-based methods. Clinical Simulation has been shown to reduce costs and medical errors while improving learning, training and patient safety outcomes.
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VirtaMed: This healthcare simulation company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland offers surgical simulators for medical training and education. Through both medical training simulators and custom-made simulators, Virtamed develops and produces highly realistic surgical tools for medical education and training purposes.
Virtual Medical Coaching: Virtual Medical Coaching is a healthcare simulation company that uses VR simulations to teach medical learners and professionals in a safer and more effective way. The company was formed because leadership understood that learners were struggling to find the tools they needed to be successful in their medical professional journey. Virtual Medical Coaching’s mission became to find a better solution to train medical professionals through the use of innovative technology. This involved a combination of learning experiences with the visualization of complex data to make meaningful changes in learners’ and educators’ lives. Today, Virtual Medical Coaching provides tertiary institutions and hospitals with a complete end-to-end training program.
Virtual Reality in Healthcare Simulation: Virtual Reality in Healthcare Simulation provides clinical learners the opportunity to experience simulated first-person representations of medical environments, patients, and tasks. Defined in the Healthcare Simulation Dictionary as a virtual representation of an actual patient, which can take many forms, such as software-based physiological simulators, simulated patients, physical manikins, and simulators. Note that here “Virtual Simulation” could represent 2D digital patients on tablets or desktop screens, but “Virtual Reality” specifically represents VR headset-based learning technologies which “fully immerse” the participant in a completely simulated world. Since Covid-19, the development and implementation of virtual reality simulation have seen tremendous growth. Virtual Reality in Medicine is used in Healthcare to allow learners to experience visual stimuli delivered via computer graphics, as well as other sensory experiences. A significant benefit of advancing Virtual Reality in healthcare technology is that Virtual Reality lets students learn how to perform a number of tasks and procedures involving the human body without ever having to practice on a live patient.
Veterinary Simulation: Veterinary Simulation is simulation training for veterinary technicians, nurses, and doctors. Veterinary simulation helps learners become familiar with the unique healthcare needs of animals, primarily animal companions (pets such as cats, dogs, and rabbits) and farm animals (horses, cows, and pigs). Veterinary simulation models allow learners to gain knowledgeable experience without causing harm to living animals.
Ventriloscope: Ventriloscope is a medical device company that manufactured one of the first healthcare simulation stethoscopes in 2008. Invented by Dr. Paul Lecat, the company’s scopes and accessories are backed by research, and the goal is to stress the importance of proper physical examinations and diagnosis. Vebntriloscope believes that the next frontier in mortality reduction will come by using clinical simulation training to help professionals recognize crucial findings and act early to prevent the next code. At the time when Lecat established Ventriloscope, he was frustrated by the inability to incorporate realistic abnormal sounds in teaching. Created by a physician for clinicians, Ventriloscope’s guiding principle is that physical examination, when performed correctly, can reduce mortality through earliest recognition of deadly conditions.
VRPatients: is a physiologically-based clinical simulation training platform that immerses a healthcare provider or first responder into actual case scenarios. Headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio, the VRPatients healthcare simulation training platform allows learners to interview, assess, diagnose and treat patients in real-time. Looking to provide remote learning opportunities for your EMS program during COVID-19? VRpatients should definitely be part of your consideration. This technology offers many advantages that traditional classroom training alone cannot provide. VRpatients, and its parent company, Virtual Education Systems, began as a startup funded by Cincinnati-based tech incubator CincyTech and Columbus-based Rev1 Ventures before being acquired in 2018. Since then, the entire medical simulation platform, including the UI/UX experience, clinical case scenarios, environments and authoring tools, have been rebuilt and rebranded as VRpatients.
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Wallcur: is a simulated medications and practi-products company that specializes in healthcare simulation training and education. The company provides simulation solutions designed for Nurses, Pharmacists, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), medical corps professionals and other allied health program learners throughout the world. Founded in 1972 in San Diego, California, Wallcur is a certified, woman-owned small business. The company’s mission has remained to provide ideas and products that both stimulate and simulate clinical learning in a safe non-clinical environment. Today, with continued educator feed back as well as collaborative research and design, Wallcur has upheld the original mission to provide the most up-to-date, realistic, and cost-effective simulated clinical practice available.
WISER: The Winter Institute for Simulation Education and Research (also known as WISER) is a world class multidisciplinary healthcare simulation training and research facility out of UPMC. An institute of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the WISER Simulation Center’s mission is to conduct research and training programs utilizing clinical simulation-based education to increase patient safety at the UPMC and the school’s affiliates. The UPMC WISER facility is directed by Dr. Paul Phrampus, MD, who is also a professor in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine.
Wolters Kluwer: Wolters Kluwer is a global provider of professional information, software solutions, and services for clinicians, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. The company seeks to accomplish the mission of delivering deep impact when impact matters most through protecting people’s health and prosperity and contributing to a safe and just society. To accomplish this goal, Wolters Kluwer utilizes trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that drive effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. For example, Wolters Kluwer, Laerdal, and NLN teamed up to bring the latest simulation technology to nursing education with vSim, a nursing simulation platform that helps reinforce the lessons of high-fidelity patient simulators. vSim helps nursing learners hone their prioritization and clinical reasoning and decision-making skills before they practice these skills in the sim lab.
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XR Headsets for Healthcare Simulation: The selection of the right Extended Reality (XR) headset is imperative to provide clinical learners with the best virtual healthcare simulation experience. XR is an umbrella term which encompasses VR, (virtual reality) AR, (augmented reality) and MR (mixed reality). For the purpose of this page there will be examples of all of these extended reality (XR) headsets that are currently used in healthcare simulation.
7-Sigma: The company 7-SIGMA (7S³) is a designer, manufacturer and supplier of high-performance polymer and metal components and assemblies for the printing, medical, aerospace, and industrial markets. More recently they have focused on a number of unique healthcare simulation task trainer models! Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company collaborates with educators and healthcare professions, while leveraging more than forty years of experience in material selection and precision manufacturing, to produce high-fidelity products. While continuously evolving and looking for ways to innovate these products, 7-SIGMA has been able to establish a premier training platform for airway management.
3D Systems: is a global additive manufacturing solutions company that offers new and optimized digital design and production workflows to enhance healthcare simulation capabilities and competitiveness. Headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the company’s solutions include a variety of digitization, design, manufacturing, inspection and management features. Combining these features, 3D Systems’ integrated solutions are able to utilize materials, software, 3D printing and expert services to transform and revolutionize the realm of 3D printing. Today, these professional-grade online 3D printing and manufacturing services empower designers and engineers to create, iterate and produce quality parts directly from digital 3D files.
