Human Patient Simulation
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The AIMS CETL Human Patient Simulation Teaching Suites each house a state-of-the-art, life-sized, high-fidelity METI Human Patient Simulator (HPS). These can be programmed to model a wide range of physiological, pharmacological and pathological states. A few mouse clicks can transform the model from a healthy subject being used to demonstrate a fundamental physiological mechanism (e.g. the response to breathing hypoxic gas mixtures), to a patient in a disease-state requiring treatment (e.g. septic shock).
Overview
The AIMS CETL is pioneering the use of Human Patient Simulators in undergraduate medical and biomedical education. Only a few institutions worldwide use simulation in this way to teach fundamental physiology where the simulator is used as a healthy human subject (the concept of 'simulator as subject') as well as a treatable patient. This allows the demonstration of key principles of physiology that students find difficult when taught using traditional methods, and classic experiments which are no longer possible using human subjects due to ethical constraints. In the same way we also use the simulators to teach principles of pharmacology.
Teaching in HPS suites, HPS waveform display and physiological trend chart
Our medical, dentistry, veterinary and biomedical sciences students are benefiting from using the Human Patient Simulator embedded as part of their curricula alongside traditional teaching. In our medical course, almost uniquely, students experience simulation-based teaching and learning from year one through to clinical-based teaching (eg. emergency medicine scenarios) in later years of the course. Students are also able to use the simulators during extended practical work, particularly for final year dissertation projects to design experiments and collect and analyse in-depth systems (integrative) physiological data.
Development of scenarios and research into the application of simulation to teaching and learning
A key aspect of our work at the AIMS CETL is the development, validation and evaluation of new simulation scenarios. Here we draw on our basis as an academic department to develop scenarios that accurately model human physiological responses, basing these on in vivo data wherever possible. The team is led by Prof Judy Harris, Dr Eugene Lloyd and Dr Richard Helyer. For more information on this work please contact aims-info@bristol.ac.uk. Our 'News & downloads' section (below) carries information related to these projects.
Continuing professional development courses, summer schools and school visits
The AIMS CETL simulation facilities are used to teach a range of courses and workshops from CPD for postgraduate health professionals to sessions for secondary school visits. The emphasis is on key concepts in physiology and pharmacology. For many of these courses and workshops, simulation is used alongside the facilities available in our physiology and pharmacology teaching laboratories, where students can carry out experiments on themselves, on isolated tissue or using computer simulation. The simulators, as well as these facilities, can also be viewed at University Open Days. For information on courses and visits please contact aims-info@bristol.ac.uk. We are able to discuss development of simulation and other teaching for individual training needs.
Movies
We have included some short movies to demonstrate the Human Patient Simulator in action as a simulated patient or subject. Below is a still from the airway management movie. Select other short clips from the movies menu.
News and downloads
June 2010
Rachael Corry wins best oral presentation at SESAM 2010
Rachael Corry (AIMS simulation developer) won the prize for best oral presentation at SESAM 2010, the annual meeting of the Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine. Her presentation was: Corry, RA, Butlin, RJ, Dickens, PJ, Lloyd, E, Harris, JR & Helyer, RJ. (2010) Demonstrating real-time pressure changes during the cardiac cycle 'from the inside' using the high-fidelity Human Patient Simulator.
SESAM
March 22 - 23, 2010
The AIMS CETL hosted the first focused, workshop meeting 'Physiology in Simulation 2010' aimed solely at presentation and discussion of developments in physiological modeling in high-fidelity manikin-based simulation. The emphasis of the meeting was the application to basic biomedical science and medical education. The organising committee were Dr Richard Helyer & Prof Judy Harris, contact aims-info@bristol.ac.uk for further information. Physiology in Simulation 2010 was a meeting endorsed by SESAM.
Physiology in Simulation focused workshop, March 2010 (pdf 312.5 Kb)