Human Patient Simulator

 

Human Patient Simulator (HPS) training can be targeted at specific groups and focused on the actual skills, tasks and behaviours required in the particular field. Training activities can range from very simple to highly complex.

 

Application

Specifically, simulator training will be very useful in:

• Teaching basic skills to medical students
• Training trainee doctors in basic anaesthesia skills before they administer anaesthesia to real patients
• Crisis management for experienced doctors, nurses and paramedics, particularly those who work in intensive care, emergency departments and operating theatres
• Demonstration of new drugs and new equipment by pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies

We place great emphasis on the practical training of medical students regardless of their eventual choice of speciality. Teaching and training with a patient simulator will render current medical school teaching more complete, realistic and systematic. All students can be trained to a required practical standard in a controlled, safe and even enjoyable environment.

Anaesthetists are trained to apply the principles of physiology, pharmacology and physics in their work. Our department's high volume and variety of work, aptitude, experience and interests enable us to initiate and develop quality simulator training for doctors and other medical professionals.

 

Features

The HPS provides realistic simulation of clinical scenarios. The 'patient' manikin is life sized and the same equipment and monitors that staff actually use in their daily work are provided in an operating theatre setting.

The HPS can simulate accurately the patients responses in many situations such as anaphylaxis, septic shock and heart failure, producing 'patterns' of physical signs and corresponding monitor data.

These include heart sounds, central and peripheral pulses, muscle twitches, breathing sounds and urine output.

There are also pre-configured 'patients', in which the physiological model is tailored for details such as the 'patients' age, body mass, blood pressure and smoking history. These models can all be easily and quickly modified according to the training scenario.

The drug recognition system can model in real time the patient's response to drugs. A bar code system enables detection of the drug administered and its dose. A pulmonary artery catheter is permanently inserted for invasive pressure and cardiac output measurement.

 

Programmes

In the current clinical curriculum for medical students at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Phase IV students have a 2-week attachment to the Department of Anaesthesia. HPS training during this attachment concentrates on airway management, anaesthetic equipment and drugs.

Basic and advanced life support are taught and practiced. Students are also orientated to the operating theatre environment.

HPS training is also involved in cardiovascular and respiratory physiology teaching for Phase I medical students and pharmacology for Phase III students. These sessions bring physiology 'to life', introduce students to clinical signs and enable better understanding of the human body's responses.

All NUH medical officers in anaesthesia receive training in airway and emergency scenarios with the HPS. Courses are also conducted for medical officers from other hospitals. Junior doctors learn in a safe and controlled environment which enables them to gain confidence and understanding in order to treat real patients better.

We also conduct workshops on "Crisis Management for the Operating Theatre" for OT, recovery and ICU nurses.

HPS training is a key component of the annual "Difficult Airway Management" workshops conducted by the Department of Anaesthesia in conjunction with the NUH/NUS Annual Scientific Meetings.