Dr. Tulp attends the soft machine: patient simulators, user involvement and intellectual disability.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Clinical simulation
• Intellectual disability care

Background:

• Simulation is a critical tool for teaching clinical skills.
• Exclusive reliance on patient simulators may limit training effectiveness, especially for specific patient populations.
• Healthcare professionals require specialized training to effectively care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of incorporating individuals with intellectual disabilities into clinical simulation models.
• To determine if this enhanced simulation improves learning for healthcare students.
• To assess the potential benefits for patients with intellectual disabilities.

Main Methods:

• Developed simulation models incorporating individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Compared learning outcomes between traditional simulator-only models and enhanced models.
• Gathered feedback from healthcare students and simulated patients.

Main Results:

• Simulations involving individuals with intellectual disabilities demonstrated higher verisimilitude.
• Learner outcomes were significantly improved compared to standard simulation methods.
• Enhanced simulation positively impacted the perceived quality of care for simulated patients.

Conclusions:

• Clinical simulation for intellectual disability care is significantly enhanced by including individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• This inclusive approach improves learner competence and patient-centered care.
• Future training programs should integrate real-world perspectives from individuals with intellectual disabilities.