Neonatal airway simulators, how good are they? A comparative study of physical and functional fidelity.

Abstract

Proficiency in airway management is critical for neonatal health-care professionals. Simulation is a proven method to improve airway management skills. Skills transfer from simulation to the real life requires simulators with appropriate physical and functional fidelity. A cohort of neonatal health-care professionals evaluated eight different neonatal airway simulators for physical and functional fidelity. Twenty-seven subjects completed 151 simulator evaluations. Significant differences were found between the simulators evaluated (P<0.001). The manikins with the highest fidelity scores were the SimNewB, Newborn Anne and Premature Anne (Laerdal Medical). The task trainers with the highest fidelity scores were the Neonatal Intubation Trainer (Laerdal Medical) and the Newborn Airway Trainer (Syndaver Labs). Simulator fidelity is an important aspect of simulation training, but is rarely evaluated. The results of this study can aid in choosing the best simulators for training and research, and provide feedback to the industry to guide future simulator development.