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

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Medical Simulation
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Healthcare simulation services face increasing pressure to demonstrate value, a concept often misunderstood.
• Traditional evaluation models (e.g., Kirkpatrick, Phillips) have limitations due to hierarchical assumptions about data importance.
• These limitations can hinder recognition of simulation's full impact and lead to inefficient measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Value-Based Simulation in Healthcare (VBSH) model.
• To provide a simulation-specific framework that addresses the limitations of traditional evaluation models.
• To support simulation teams and leaders in selecting appropriate measurement strategies and aligning with institutional goals.

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of Phillips' framework into a taxonomy rather than a hierarchy.
• Development of the VBSH model with six interdependent categories: Service Products, Program Perceptions, Acquired Expertise, Workplace Performance, System Benefit, and Value Analyses.
• Focus on a service-level lens for evaluating simulation.

Main Results:

• The VBSH model provides a structured taxonomy for assessing healthcare simulation value.
• It enables the co-creation of operationally meaningful metrics.
• The model supports alignment of simulation activities with broader organizational objectives.

Conclusions:

• The VBSH model reframes healthcare simulation as a driver of insight, improvement, and transformation.
• It shifts the focus from the power of metrics to their relevance.
• This approach fosters a more accurate, efficient, and context-aware understanding of simulation's value in healthcare.