Clinical Simulation: A Way to Innovate in Health

Abstract

Introduction: Scientific and technological innovation has played a key role in Portugal’s health system progress, emerging as a
booster of management strategy and organization, ensuring their competitive advantage.
Simulation appears as a form of health innovation, revolutionizing medical education and the training of health professionals and
teams. Simulation is currently the gold standard in health training, and has been given an increasing emphasis in the literature.
Objectives and Methods: Taking this into account, the authors
describe the design and implementation of the “Centro de Simulação Clínica da Madeira”, inaugurated in September 2012, with
74 courses conducted since its opening such courses are transversal to the various specialties and focused on training in critical
and complex environments.
Results: The Internal Medicine Service organized, coordinated by the author of this article, Maria da Luz Brazão, organized since
2014, nine Internal Medicine Clinical Simulation courses, directed at a total of 58 health professionals. Each course addresses
clinical cases in emergency contexts, explored in scenarios with high-fidelity simulators and using debriefing strategies as a way
of improvement through reflective practice, under the guidance of the trainer.
Conclusion: Analyzing the Clinical Simulation courses in Internal
Medicine, the authors found a high level of satisfaction among the trainees, both about the course itself and its practical implication, about 90% considering it “very good” in terms of personal development. Most trainees (75.9%) found the duration of
the course “appropriate” and showed a high level of satisfaction about both the structures/support material and the performance of trainers.