Recent trends in simulation for obstetric anesthesia

The use of simulation in medicine has grown significantly over the past 2 decades. Simulation in obstetric anesthesia can be divided into four broad uses: technical skills, nontechnical or teamwork skills, individual clinical competence, and the safety of the clinical environment. This review will describe recent trends in the use of simulation in several of these categories.

Simulation continues to be an important part of skills (technical and cognitive) and teamwork training in obstetric anesthesia. The acquisition of simple and complex technical skills appears to be improved with the use of simulation. However, the assessment of these skills is currently done in the simulated environment. Simulation is also important in assessing and enhancing the safety of a labor unit. Two simulation trends have recently evolved. Instructional articles describing how to best perform simulation have begun to appear. In addition, several review articles have been published that demonstrate the maturation of the body of research in this field.

As the use of simulation continues to grow, research should concentrate on whether anesthesia or teamwork skills learned in the simulated environment change behavior and improve outcomes in the clinical setting. More instructional publications would also facilitate the growth into more clinical environments.