Healthcare Simulation Dictionary
High-Fidelity Simulator
A broad range of full-body manikins that have the ability to mimic, at a very high level, human body functions.
Physiologic Modeling
A computer model that allows for a method of operation in which an operator inputs a value to a given parameter, and it automatically adjusts the other variables in a physiologically realistic manner.
Simulation Testing Environment
A context for formative or summative evaluation of an individual's or team's performance. The goals of the simulation testing environment are to create an equivalent activity for all participants in order to test their knowledge, skills, and abilities in a simulated setting.
Clinical Scenario
A detailed outline of a clinical encounter that includes: the participants in the event, briefing notes, goals and learning objectives, participant instructions, patient information, environment conditions, manikin or standardized patient preparation, related equipment, props, or tools or resources for assessing and managing the simulated experience.
Psychological Safety
A feeling within a simulation-based activity that participants are comfortable participating, speaking up, sharing thoughts, and asking for help as needed without concern for retribution or embarrassment.
Avatar
A graphical representation, typically three-dimensional, of a person capable of relatively complex actions, including facial expression and physical responses, while participating in a virtual simulation-based experience. The user control the avatar through the use of a mouse, keyboard, or a type of joystick to move through the virtual simulation-based experience.
Safe Learning Environment
A learning environment where it is clarified that learners feel physically and psychologically safe to make decisions, take actions, and interact in the simulation.
Shared Mental Model
A means of describing that each participant in a simulation has a shared understanding of the purpose and process of the simulation activity and participants' roles. Compare: Situational Awareness
Advocacy and Inquiry Method
A method of debriefing in which an observer states what was observed or performed in a simulation activity (advocacy) or shares critical or appreciative insights about it explicitly (advocacy) and then asks the learners for an explanation of their thoughts or actions (inquiry)
Coaching
A method of directing or instructing a person or group of people in order to achieve a goal or goals, develop a specific skills or skills, or develop a competency or competencies.
Prepackaged/Pre-programmed Scenario
A method of operation in which the simulator is programmed to be in one state and to respond to an input and transition to another state based on a script or algorithm.
Participant
A person engaged in a simulation activity or event and for those involved in simulation research.
Assessor
A person who performs assessment of individuals according to pre-established criteria and must have specific and substantial training, expertise, and competency in assessment
Incognito Standardized Patient
A person who plays a role as a patient in real health care situations, while the health care workers in those situations are unaware of the fact that the person is not a real patient
Simulated Patient/Simulated Person
A person who portrays a patient, family member, or healthcare provider in order to meet the objectives of the simulation. See also: confederate, embedded patient, standardized patient, standardized/simulated participant
Fixation Error
A principle of crisis resource management wherin humans fail to revise a situations assessment in risky and dynamic systems or events.
Monte Carlo Simulation
A process which generates hundreds or thousands of probable performance outcomes based on probability distributions for cost and schedule on individual tasks. The outcomes are then used to generate a probability distribution for the project as a whole.
Immersive Simulation
A real-life situation that deeply involves the participants' senses, emotions, thinking, and behavior, dependent on the alignment with learning objectives, the fidelity of the simulation (physical, conceptual, and emotional), and participant's perception of realism.
Model
A representation of an object, concept, event, or system; models can be physical models, computational models, or theories of function
Simulation Guideline
A set of recommendations, incorporating currently known best practice, based on research and/or expert opinion.
Distributed Simulation
A set of simulations operating in a common environment and distributed to learners; a distributed simulation may be composed of any of the three modes of simulation: live, virtual, or constructive, and are seamlessly integrated within a single exercise.
Simulator
A setting, device, computer program or system that performs simulation.
Process-Oriented Simulation
A simulation to examine the process of care rather than the outcome of care.
Simulation Time
A simulation's internal representation of time; simulation time may accumulate faster, slower, or at the same pace as real time.
Computer-Based Simulation
A simulation-based learning activity designed to provide experiences with inputs and outputs exclusively confined to a computer, including virtual patients, virtual reality task trainers, and immersive virtual reality simulation.
Portable Simulator
A simulator that has the capabilities of being moved, and may also be able to operate independently of tether such as power cords or communications cables.
Simulation Standard
A statement of the minimum requirements for simulation fidelity, validity, formative or summative evaluation, or any other element related to a simulation activity or program.
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
A station or series of stations designed to assess performance competency in individual clinical or other professional skills.
Simulation
A technique that creates a situation or environment to allow persons to experience a representation of a real event for the purpose of practice, learning, evaluation, testing, or to gain understanding of systems or human actions.
Modality
A term used to refer to the types of simulation being used as part of a simulation activity, for example, task trainers, manikin-based, standardized/simulated patients, computer-based, virtual reality, and hybrid.
Deliberate Practice
A theory of general psychology that states the differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific domain.
Situated Learning
A theory that posits that learning occurs within authentic activity, context, and culture. Social interaction and collaboration are considered essential components.
Augmented Reality
A type of virtual reality in which synthetic stimuli are superimposed on real-word objects, usually to make information that is otherwise imperceptible to human sense perceptible.
Brief (Briefing)
An activity immediately preceding the start of a simulation activity where the participants, whether that be faculty, simulated patients, or learners, receive essential information about the simulation scenario, such as background information, vitals signs, instructions, or guidelines. Used interchangeable with pre-brief and orientation
Orientation
An activity that occurs prior to a simulation activity in order to prepare the faculty/instructors or learners. Used interchangeably with pre-brief or brief
Simulated-Based Learning Experience
An array of structured activities that represent actual or potential situations in education and practice. These activities allow participants to develop or enhance their knowledge, skills, and attitudes, or to analyze and respond to realistic situations, in a simulated environment. See also: clinical scenario, simulation activity
Prop
An element or accessory used in a given scenario to enhance realism, or to provide a cue to learners.
Confederate
An individual other than the patient, who is scripted in a simulation to provide realism, additional challenges, or additional information for the learner, such as paramedic, receptionist, family member, etc.
Gynecological/Genitourinary Teaching Associate (GTA, GUTA, MUTA)
An individual trained to teach the techniques and protocol for performing gender-specific physical examination to learners, using himself or herself as a demonstration and practice model.
Simulationist
An individual who is involved in the design, implementation, and/or delivery or simulation activities, such as educators, technologists, operations specialists, and technicians.
Facilitator
An individual who is involved in the implementation and/or delivery of simulation activities. For example, faculty, educators, etc.
Embedded Patient
An individual who is trained or scripted to play a role in a simulation encounter in order to guide the scenario, and may be known or unknown to the participants; guidance may be positive or negative, or a distraction based on the objectives, level of the participants, and the needs of the scenario.
Operations Specialist
An individual whose primary role is the implementation and delivery of a simulation activity through the application of simulation technologies such as computers, audio-visual (AV), or networking technologies.
Prebrief
An information or orientation session held prior to the start of a simulation activity in which instructions or preparatory information is given to the participants. Used interchangeable with brief an orientation
Interprofessional Education
An initiative to secure learning, and promote gains through interprofessional collaboration in professional practice.
Mastery Learning
An instructional strategy based on the principle that all students can attain lesson and unit objectives given appropriate instruction and sufficient time to learn.
Interprofessional
Collaborating as a team with a shared purpose, goal, and mutual respect to deliver sage, quality health care
Event
Described by the time it occurs and event lists can be created to drive changes in a simulation.
Haptic
Devices that capture and record a trainee's touch in terms of location and depth of pressure at specific anatomical sites
Conceptual Fidelity
Ensures that all elements of the scenario relate to each other in a realistic way, so that the case makes sense as a whole to the learners.
Psychological Fidelity
Factors such as emotions, beliefs, and self-awareness of participants; the extent to which the simulated environment evokes the underlying psychological processes that are necessary in the real-world setting for the participant.
Physical/Environmental Fidelity
Factors such as environment, manikins, room, moulage, equipment, noise, and/or props.
Manikin
Full or partial body representation of a patient for practice.
Serious Games
Games having explicit and carefully thought out educational purposes, and are not intended to be played primarily for amusement, including real-world events, or processes designed for the purpose of solving a problem.
Debriefer
Individual who facilitates a debriefing session and is knowledgeable and skilled in performing appropriate, structured, an psychologically safe debriefing sessions.
Cueing
Information provided to help the learner reach the learning objectives (conceptual cues), or to help the learner interpret or clarify the simulated reality (reality cues).
Feedback
Information transferred between participants, facilitator, simulator, or peer with the intention of improving the understanding of concepts or aspects of performance.
Interdisciplinary Learning
Integrating the perspective of professionals from two or more professions by organizing the education around a specific discipline, where each discipline examines the basis of their knowledge
Just in Time Simulation
Learning approach that meets with learner's needs during or just before it is needed to maximize an educational outcome.
Immersion
Level to which the learner becomes involved in the simulation; treating the simulation as if it was a real-life event
Manual Input
Method of operation in which an operator inputs a value to a given parameter, regardless of how it would affect any other parameter.
Low-Fidelity
Not needing to be controlled or programmed externally for the learner to participate, such as case studies, role playing, or task trainers used to support students or professional in learning clinical situation or practice.
Role Player
One who assumes the attitudes, actions, and discourse of another, especially in a make-believe situation, in an effort to understand a differing point of view or social interaction. -Also known actor, confederate, embedded participant, simulated patient, simulated person, standardized patient.
Frames
Perspectives that guide the decision making process that are formed through previous experiences and can be based on knowledge, attitudes, feelings, goals, rules, and/or perceptions.
Stochastic
Pertaining to a process, model, or variable whose outcome, result, or value depends on chance.
Deterministic
Pertaining to a process, model, or variable whose outcome, result, or value does not depend on chance.
Actor
Professional and/or amateur people trained to reproduce the components of real clinical experience, especially involving communication between health professional and patients or colleagues.
Advocacy and Inquiry
Seeks to learn what others think, know, want, or feel; whereas advocacy includes statements that communicate what an individual thinks, knows, wants, or feels.
Interactive Model or Simulation
Simulating a situation in which the outcome varies depending on human participation, allowing humans to practice different sets of actions in order to learn the correct response to an event
High-Fidelity Simulation
Simulation experiences that are extremely realistic and provide a high level of interactivity and realism for the learner
Screen - based Simulation / Screen - based Simulator
Simulation presented on a computer screen using graphical images and text, similar to popular gaming format, where the operator interacts with the interface using keyboard, mouse, joystick, or other input device.
Non-technical skills
Skills of communication, leadership, teamwork, situational awareness, event minimization/mitigation, and professionalism
In Situ
Taking place in the actual patient care setting/environment in an effort to achieve a high level of fidelity and realism.
Realism
The ability to impart the suspension of disbelief to the learner by creating an environment that mimics that of the learner's work environment; realism includes the environment, simulated patient, and activities of the educators, assessors, and/or facilitators.
Mobile Simulation
The ability to move a simulator from one teaching location to another or to teach a scenario on the move.
Scribe/Scribing
The act of making notes about a scenario and documenting the actions taken or not taken.
Health Care Simulation
The application of a simulation activity to training, assessment, research, or systems integration toward patient safety
Simulation Reliability
The consistency of a simulation activity, or the degree to which a simulation activity measures in the same way each time it is used under the same conditions with the same participants.
Functional Fidelity
The degree in which the equipment used in the simulation responds to the participants actions.
Psychological Fidelity
The degree of perceived realism, including psychological factors such as emotions, beliefs, and self-awareness of participants in simulation scenarios.
Fidelity
The degree to which the simulation replicates the real event and/or workplace; this includes physical, psychological, and environmental elements.
Interprofessionalism
The effective integration of professionals through mutual respect, trust, and support, from various professions, who share a common purpose to mold their separate skills and knowledge into collective responsibility and awareness that can be achieved through learned processes.
Reflective Thinking
The engagement of self-monitoring that occurs during or after a simulation experience-often used interchangeably with guided reflection.
Fiction Contract
The implicit or explicit agreement among participants and facilitators about how the participant is expected to interact with the simulated situation and how the facilitators will treat that interaction.
Moulage
The makeup and molds applied to humans or manikins used to portray lesions, skin findings, bleeding, and traumatized areas.
"Running on the Fly"
The method of operation for running a simulation whereby the operator changes the parameters of the scene, the standardized patient, or the simulator as the scenario unfolds; the changes are dependent on the observations and knowledge of the instructor or operator, which is based on the actions of the participant.
Discrete Simulation (Discrete-Event Simulation)
The operation of a system as a discrete sequence of events in time. Each event occurs at a particular instant in time and marks a change of state in the system. Between consecutive events, no change in the system is assumed to occur; thus the simulation can directly jump in time from one event to the next.
Situational Awareness
The perception of environmental elements within time and space, and a perception of their meaning; it involves being aware of what is happening around you to understand how information, events, and your own actions impact the outcomes and objectives
Guided Reflection
The process encouraged by the facilitator during debriefing that reinforces the critical aspects of the experience and encourages insightful learning, allowing the participant to link theory with practice and research.
Human Factors
The psychological, cultural, behavioral, and other human attributes that influence decisionmaking, the flow of information, and the interpretation of information by individuals or groups.
Synthetic Learning Technologies
The technologies used in synthetic or simulated learning environments, including manikin; computer-based virtual reality; haptics; actors;simulated patients; part-task trains; hybrid; and video.
Hybrid Simulators
The union of two or more modalities of simulation with the aim of providing a more realistic experience.
Mixed Simulation
The use of a variety of different simulation modalities; this is differentiated from hybrid simulation to enhance another, but rather the use of multiple types of simulation in the same scenario or place.
Procedural Simulation
The use of simulation modality to assist in the process of learning to complete a technical skill or procedure, which is a series of steps taken to accomplish an end.
Mixed Reality Human
The use of technology such as video, augmented reality, or virtual reality in conjunction with a physical manikin to simulate a human.
Script
The written plan for a simulation event that includes various sets of topics, subtopics, skills, and triggers that will create the situation to induce the desired observable behaviors by the participant. -Used interchangeably with clinical scenario, scenario
Domains of Learning
Three separate, yet interdependent components of learning outcomes achievable by human learners. These domains: cognitive, affective, psychomotor, represent various categories and levels of learning complexity and are commonly referred to as educational taxonomies.
Debrief
To conduct a session after a simulation event where educators/instructors/facilitators and learners re-examine the simulation experience for the purpose of moving toward assimilation and accommodation of learning to future situations, encouraging reflective thinking and providing feedback about their performance.
Interdisciplinary
involving two or more areas of knowledge
In Silico
performed on computer or via computer simulation