Screen-Based Simulation, Virtual Reality, and Haptic Simulators

Abstract

Screen-based simulations (SBSs) use available digital technology to represent patients, populations, or other healthcare encounters on a computer screen or a mobile tablet, smartphone, or other screen-based device. These include uses of virtual patients, virtual worlds, screen-based haptic trainers, and resource management simulators. Simulations using screens have advantages over mannequin-based simulations—the software is infinitely replicable, the simulation programs can be portable, they can be accessed asynchronously without a live instructor present, the software can be distributed to many devices, and the programming can track massive amounts of usage data. The screen, however, is the key disadvantage—for healthcare tasks that do not normally use a screen, SBSs lack functional fidelity. Additionally, upfront costs in programming and development can be prohibitive—both financially and in terms of time and labor. Examples of types of SBS that currently exist in pediatric health care, general health care, and non-health care applications are provided, as well as consideration in developing SBS as part of the pediatric simulation education repertoire.