|
A Role for Simulators: The ‘E’ in FAER
 he
role of simulation-based education is an important
topic in anesthesiology circles, and members of our
Society are playing a seminal role in the development
of simulation as an emerging education modality for
residents, medical students, nurses and many other
groups in health care. Evidence suggests that experience
with simulation has a positive impact on patient safety
and overall quality of care, and its use is believed
by many to be an important tool for attaining, assessing
and maintaining clinical competence.
Despite study in the field for several decades, simulation
education suddenly appears to be an overnight success.
While its role in education and testing remains to
be defined, a number of faculty members of anesthesiology
departments have been working for years in this area.
Much of this work has been carried out in relation
to patient safety and has been presented at Society
for Technology in Anesthesia (STA) meetings. In 2003
the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research
(FAER) funded a study, “Virtual Reality for
Regional Anesthesia: A Pilot Study Utilizing the Popliteal
Fossa Block,”1
which examined the use of virtual anatomy and was
an important step forward in improving patient care,
especially procedural outcomes. The premise is that
this approach to teaching regional analgesia will
provide better training of residents and lead to increased
use of these valuable techniques in practice. More
recently FAER has received a number of Research in
Education Grant applications on the use of simulators
in education. FAER currently has five funded projects
in progress focusing on simulation:
• David D. Grimes, D.O., University of Rochester
School of Medicine, for his study “Designing
a Virtual Reality Airway Simulator and Testing It
on Residents.”
• Alice Edler, M.D., M.A., Stanford University
School of Medicine, for her study “The Use
of Discussion Questions to Foster Critical Thinking
Skills in Human Patient Simulator Education.”
• Gail I. Randel, M.D., Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine, for her study “Effectiveness
of a Difficult Airway Program Using the Intranet
and a High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation for
Departmental Training.”
• David J. Murray, M.D., Washington University
School of Medicine, for his study “Acute Care
Skills in Anesthesia Practice: A Simulation-Based
Performance Assessment.”
• Brian D. Sites, M.D., Dartmouth Hitchcock
Medical Center, for his study “The Design
and Validation of a Training Intervention Which
Accelerates the Novice to Expert Performance and
Limits Risk to Patients for Ultrasound-Guided Regional
Anesthesia.”
We believe the outcomes from these FAER research
grants will help to ensure that future generations
of physicians acquire timely experience and proficiency
before performing patient interventions during their
training. Simulation is an investment in patient safety
and complements overall patient care.
We cannot emphasize too strongly the message in the
March 2006 ASA NEWSLETTER by ASA Immediate
Past President Eugene P. Sinclair, M.D., “Our
Past, Present and Future Are Tied to Science.”2
The article discusses challenges, past and present,
facing physician scientists who desire to translate
basic science into clinical practice. Among them,
he includes financial pressures facing academic anesthesiology
departments, a reduction in faculty numbers and restricted
time for pursuit of scholarly activities. Studies
examining the role for and benefits of simulator education
are examples of the innovative thinking necessary
to balance the availability of limited resources while
seeking continuous quality improvement.
Thanks to your generous support of FAER, we are able
to continue to invest in these pioneering activities
in anesthesiology education and training.
“In the long run, our best investment
in the future of anesthesiology is our commitment
to the science of anesthesiology.”3
— James E. Cottrell, M.D., 2003
ASA President
References:
1. Terese T. Horlocker, M.D., Mayo Clinic and Foundation,
Rochester, Minnesota: “Virtual Anatomy for Regional
Anesthesia: A Pilot Study Utilizing the Popliteal
Fossa Block.” Mentor: David O. Warner, M.D.
ASA Newsl. 2004; 68(2):40.
2. Sinclair EP. Our
past, present and future are tied to science.
ASA Newsl. 2006; 70(3):3,5.
3. Cottrell JE. Anesthesiology
and public outreach – But who is the public?
ASA Newsl. 2004; 68(3):3,7.
FAER Research
Councils Seeking Applications
FAER Pain Research Council Request for Applications
n anticipation of the August 15, 2006, and February
15, 2007, application deadlines for FAER Research
Grants, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and
Research, through its Pain Research Council, is encouraging
research funding applications in the following area(s):
• Frameworks to evaluate safety, efficacy,
competency, and outcomes in patient populations
with pain from preclinical to clinical settings.
• Studies in the area of physician education
in pain medicine.
Although applications for all categories of FAER
grants are welcome, applications for Research Starter
Grants are especially encouraged. Applications will
be evaluated and scored through the same process as
other FAER grant applications. The deadlines annually
for FAER applications are February 15 and August 15.
Information regarding FAER grant guidelines and application
materials can be viewed at <faer.org/grants.php>.
FAER Geriatrics Research Council Request for Applications
Through its Geriatrics Research Council, FAER is seeking
applications for research funding for studies that
will identify factors associated with or predictive
of perioperative complications in geriatric patients.
Although applications for all categories of FAER grants
are welcome, applications for Research Starter Grants
are especially encouraged. Applications will be evaluated
and scored through the same process as other FAER
grant applications. The deadline for receipt of grant
applications is August 15, 2006.
Information regarding FAER grants and application
materials are available at <www.faer.org>.
ASA
Centennial Educational Contest Winner
 |
| Dario A. Grisales, M.D. |
AER would like to congratulate Dario A. Grisales, M.D.,
an ASA member residing in Tampa, Florida, on winning
the ASA Centennial Educational Contest. Dr. Grisales
successfully completed the ASA Centennial Crossword
Puzzle and was randomly picked from thousands of entries.
Dr. Grisales worked for many years alongside pain management
physicians, and in May 2005, opened a pain management
private practice in Tampa. Dr. Grisales is married to
Dr. Gloria Grisales, and they have one daughter.
Congratulations, Dr. Grisales!
return to top
|