Value-based simulation in healthcare: a new model for metrics reporting

Healthcare simulation services are increasingly expected to demonstrate their value-a term that remains highly context-dependent and frequently misunderstood. While traditional models such as Kirkpatrick and Phillips have supported early evaluation efforts, they embed hierarchical assumptions about which types of data matter most. These assumptions can constrain recognition of simulation's broader contributions and lead to misguided or inefficient measurement practices.

In this paper, we propose the value-based simulation in healthcare (VBSH) model, an adaptation of Phillips' framework that offers simulation-specific nomenclature and a service-level lens. Structured as a taxonomy rather than a hierarchy, the VBSH model comprises six freestanding but interdependent categories: Service Products, Program Perceptions, Acquired Expertise, Workplace Performance, System Benefit, and Value Analyses. This model is designed to support simulation teams and organizational leaders in selecting relevant measurement strategies, aligning simulation work with institutional goals, and co-creating metrics that are operationally meaningful.

By reframing simulation as a vector for insight, improvement, and transformation-not just training delivery-the VBSH model aims to shift the conversation from metric power to metric relevance, fostering a more accurate, efficient, and context-aware narrative of simulation's value in healthcare.