Simulation Center for Crisis Management Training in Health Care
VA Palo Alto Health Care System & Stanford University
Hands-On High-Fidelity Patient Simulator -
Invented by Dr David Gaba and his colleagues
at the Simulation Center
The original hands-on anesthesia simulator was invented here at Stanford in 1986 by a group led by David M. Gaba, M.D., Professor of Anesthesia. The current commercially available advanced system, the MedSim-Eagle Patient Simulator is an outgrowth of two generations of patient simulators designed and built here known as C.A.S.E. (Comprehensive Anesthesia Simulation Environment). The patient simulator is used for training medical students, anesthesia residents and practitioners, and for CME and research by the The Laboratory of Human Performance in Health Care.
Faculty members at the Simulation Center developed a special intensive curriculum on Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management (ACRM). This one-day course teaches participants to become better crisis managers in the operating room or intensive care unit. The course uses a high faculty to participant ratio (4-to-3) and incorporates didactic sessions, group exercises, a two-three hour simulation session, and a two-three hour debriefing session. During debriefing, faculty and participants critique the simulation session using videotaped recording of the simulations. Residents take the ACRM course at least once per year.
Debriefing session during an ACRM course led by Dr Steve Howard
(far right close to monitors)
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation has published a short article (Fall 1995 newsletter) reviewing the development of simulation and ACRM and detailing the activities of a variety of simulation centers using the MedSim-Eagle Patient Simulator.
(Note: We are slowly working on updating the web site. If you have any questions or trouble with a link not connecting, please contact us at: julieharper@onebox.com or sowb1@stanford.edu)