Translational simulation revisited: an evolving conceptual model for the contribution of simulation to healthcare quality and safety

Abstract

The simulation community has effectively responded to calls for a more direct contribution by simulation to healthcare quality and safety, and clearer alignment with health service priorities, but the conceptual framing of this contribution has been vague. The term ‘translational simulation’ was proposed in 2017 as a “functional term for how simulation may be connected directly with health service priorities and patient outcomes, through interventional and diagnostic functions” (Brazil V. Adv Simul. 2:20, 2017). Six years later, this conceptual framing is clearer. Translational simulation has been applied in diverse contexts, affording insights into its strengths and limitations. Three core concepts are identifiable in recently published translational simulation studies: a clear identification of simulation purpose, an articulation of the simulation process, and an engagement with the conceptual foundations of translational simulation practice. In this article, we reflect on current translational simulation practice and scholarship, especially with respect to these three core concepts, and offer a further elaborated conceptual model based on its use to date.