Utilization of simulation for the introduction of new software technology to the clinical setting

ProVation Medical documentation software was introduced in our Department of Gastroenterology (GI). We evaluated the use of a simulation module to improve the introduction of new documentation software into a tertiary care center GI department.

Train-the-trainer education was provided by the vendor of the new documentation module. A simulation module was developed to simulate the preparatory, intraprocedural, and postprocedure phase of active utilization of the software. A standardized patient (SP)/medical actor was used for provision of data to be entered in to the ProVation Medical preprocedure module. A procedural suite was configured to allow for staff to assume their roles during endoscopic cases. A checklist of key activities was used by observers during the training. A postscenario evaluation document was collected for perceptions of training.

Twenty-one GI nurses and technicians spent 3 hours in groups of 7 over a 3-day period completing activities commensurate with these procedural phases. Nineteen of 21 learners felt the simulation was nonthreatening, and the same number gave the course an overall 5/5 rating. There were no specimen labeling errors, patient identification errors, or sentinel events related to the software rollout. All learners felt that physician involvement in the simulation would have been beneficial.

Simulation can be used to improve the rollout of new software in a tertiary care center. Staff satisfaction associated with this type of learning activity was high, and a communicated level of comfort was achieved as a result of the simulation-based experiential learning.