Pediatric Human Patient Simulation Program -
Enhancing pediatric healthcare training through medical simulation.

As part of its commitment to excellence in pediatric healthcare, Miami Children's Hospital has developed a state-of-the-art Pediatric Human Patient Simulation Program to support healthcare trainees and professionals in developing and enhancing skills required to provide medical assessment and treatment of children.

The program features a high-fidelity child-sized mannequin with computerized medical simulation that has the capability to mirror the physiologic parameters and medical responses of a young patient. The program also features two infant sized medium fidelity simulators as well. This technology provides a superior learning environment for health care professionals

Simulation technology offers many benefits. It enables healthcare professionals and students to practice relevant pediatric scenarios and acquire basic pediatric care skills. Specifically, it can support healthcare students and professionals in:

• Improving teamwork and building team-leading skills
• Enhancing communication skills
• Developing and improving critical-thinking skills
• Practicing new procedures or testing new equipment
• Enhancing medication administration safety
• Administering medications based on pediatric dosing
• Improving patient assessment and bedside decision making
• Enhancing competency-based assessment skills
• Practicing infrequently used emergency treatment skills

Mission Statement

Through the use of its pediatric human patient simulator lab, the Medical Education Department at Miami Children's Hospital, is dedicated to providing state of the art educational opportunities for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals and the community.

Goals

• Improve patient safety and quality of care through team-work and clinical decision-making using medical simulation
• Promote learning in a safe, controlled, non-clinical environment using state-of-the-art teaching tools and medical simulation
• Provide healthcare professionals with an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge basic to pediatrics and clinical practice relevant to pediatrics using medical simulation

About the MCH Pediatric Human Patient Simulator Model

The Pediatric Human Patient Simulator (PHPS), has the capability to mimic the physiologic responses of a 7-year-old. The PediaSim®, a child-size mannequin from Medical Education Technologies, Inc. (METI), is remarkably lifelike. It can open and close its eyes, talk, inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, and responds to medications and CPR. The PediaSim®'s programming is based on complex mathematical models of physiology and pharmacology that enable the mannequin to respond to interventions in real-time. This provides trainees with opportunities to immediately experience the impact of treatments. The "health" and well-being of the PHPS is linked directly to how well trainees work together to respond to its needs.

We have now added BabySim® & SimBaby®to extend the range of our simulations and portability. BabySim®is METI’s infant counterpart to PediaSim. Using similar mathematical computations he is able to approximate appropriate physiological responses to learner’s interventions. SimBaby has been designed by Laerdal as a slightly smaller portable infant.

Simulation Scenarios Enhance Education

Simulation is an outstanding tool for acquiring diagnostic skills and practicing medical procedures. Simulation scenarios can range widely in complexity. Some are used simply to review assessment skills, while others significantly alter the patient's underlying physiologic status.

The following are examples of how the Pamela Garrison Simulator can be applied to enhance learning:

• Trainees can assess normal and abnormal heart sounds and breath sounds, perform neurological exams (including pupil response) and cardiovascular exams (including EKG interpretation, blood pressure and differentiation of bilateral pulses)
• Trainees can realistically intubate, start IV lines, cardiovert and defibrillate the simulator and immediately observe the simulator's response
  PediaSim® recognizes pharmacologic interventions and will react accordingly
• BabySim & Simbaby both allow many additional procedures to be performed including insertion of chest tubes, needle throacostomy and intraosseus needle placement
• Instructors can customize a "patient" and isolate critical teaching modules to address a trainee's specific needs
• Trainees can be exposed to unusual pediatric emergency situations, allowing them to acquire infrequently used skills and practice them without risk to a real child. In such scenarios, the computer system allows reality to be suspended. PediaSim® becomes a real child undergoing a real emergency

Programs and Customized Courses

Multiple course offerings now can incorporate the pediatric simulation as part of the curriculum.

In addition, the Miami Children's Pediatric Patient Simulator Lab staff can tailor specific training programs to fulfill requests from area healthcare educators, including nursing and allied health professional instructors. The Lab is also available to parents and other caregivers for children with special needs. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as others interested in research projects, are also encouraged to find out more about the Simulator Lab at Miami Children's Hospital.

The Pediatric Human Patient Simulation Program is made possible through a generous grant from Peacock Foundation. The Pamela Garrison Simulator has been funded by South Florida philanthropist R. Kirk Landon. The purchase of BabySim has been funded by grant from the Hugoton Foundation.

For more information

To learn more about the pediatric human patient simulator or to schedule time in the Pediatric Patient Simulator Lab, please call (786) 268-1726 or e-mail: simulator.lab@mch.com