Clinical Skills Grow Faster through Simulation & Deliberate Practice

Clinical skill development through simulation and deliberate practice is a key to positivepatient outcomes. To pose an example: a patient is admitted to the emergency room, and the on-duty resident must work with the attending physician to diagnose and treat the ailment. Current vital signs may be compared to the patient's electronic health record (EHR) history. Previous and current prescriptions are checked for possible negative interactions with currently administered drugs. And relevant tests are ordered, examined, and reported on. All of this can take place in the span of hours, if not just a few minutes. No matter the nature of the emergency medical condition, time is always of the essence and clinical care delivery must be swift and accurate to better ensure a positive clinical outcome. For the attending physician, this may be all in a day's work.

But what about the resident? Perhaps this is the first time he or she has been exposed to the medical emergency at hand. This poses a risk to the patient as hesitation or misdiagnosis can lead to negative results. On the other hand, what if the resident is familiar with the situation because he or she has taken part in skill development through simulation and deliberate practice? Good news for the patient!

Clinical simulation training can be offered within the medical school or in the hospital where the resident is employed. The effective operation of a real-life simulation center depends on a well-trained staff, adequate physical and space requirements, and the deployment ofleading edge technology. However, there's another option: virtual clinical skill development. Using his or her computer or mobile device, the resident can go through numerous clinical exercises without ever having to set foot in a simulation center. Virtual venues for simulation and deliberate practice allow the learner to complete a clinical case once – or more than once – in order to hone necessary skills. Simulation and deliberate practice also lead to better real-time assessment and diagnostic aptitudes. A timer is ticking down as the learner reviews the patient's EHR, understands the current medical complaint, orders tests, makes assessments, and provides a course of treatment—just like the attending physician would in the hospital emergency room.

A well-prepared resident will almost invariably become a well-prepared doctor who is capable of making fast, lifesaving decisions for better patient outcomes. And when care delivery is improved, patients can look forward to faster recovery times and high rates of treatment satisfaction.

The author of the article has an extensive experience in the field of Simulation and Deliberate Practice.