Can simulation really improve patient safety? The short answer is yes, simulation can be used to improve patient safety. The objectives of simulations can easily align with the objectives of healthcare quality and patient safety programs, making simulation an asset and simulationists valuable colleagues.
Simulation can be used to identify and mitigate latent safety threats. Simulation can be used as a test of change to implement quality improvement projects and can reveal information during root cause analysis that would not have otherwise been discovered. Simulation, coupled with debriefing, is a versatile tool that can be adapted to advance many quality and patient safety objectives.
Simulations allow learning without direct harm to patients and can be scheduled at the relative convenience of participants. Methods to support reflection or provide information, such as coaching, feedback, and debriefing, are essential components of learning from simulations. In many situations, learning from simulation, rather than during care for real patients, is an ethical imperative.