June 10, 2013By Lance Baily

HealthStream Provides SimManager for Medical Simulation Success

simmanager

At the International Pediatric Simulation Symposia and Workshop last month, HealthStream was on hand to explain the benefits of SimManager, a cloud-based platform designed to help with every aspect of operating a medical simulation program. While you can watch my part 1 and part 2 of my video recap summarizing the pediatric simulation IPSSW event, below is the full interview with Lisa Kinakin, Healthcare Regional Account Manager at HealthStream. We covered how HealthStream can assist with managing competency review through blended learning applications, and how SimManager helps administrators oversee staff, equipment, leaners, scenario licenses, spaces and much much more…


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Interview Recap:

Lisa: HealthStream is on the cutting edge of simulation in terms of education. Our newly developed platform is called SimManger, which is a part of the joint SimCenter venture with Laerdal. The idea behind SimManager is to have a internet-based, cloud-based platform where people can take care of all of their simulation educational management needs. They can manage resources, they can download scenario from SimStore, they can setup classes and content, and much more. Overall SimManager has been shown to be a very effective tool in helping primarily hospitals but also educational programs develop and operate their simulation programs.

Lance: One of the major topics here today at IPSSW 2013 has been blended learning, can you talk to us about how HealthStream can support that in healthcare education/training?

Lisa: Well you know Lance that HealthSteam’s primary focus our learning management platform. We started with education in the hospital setting and have grown now to be in one out of every two hospitals in the United States. Remaining on the cutting edge in terms of simulation means we had to move into the next level. Fortunately HealthStream has a continuum in the blended learning environment. We begin with our courseware, we move into a soft simulation using HeartCode, and then we move into scenarios using high-fidelity simulators. We really have the scope of blended learning at our fingertips which I think thats really important in this venue to be able to approach all of those.


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Lance: Right. So another huge area covered here today has been about research in terms of implementing simulation to as a way to maintain competency not only in initial training such as residency type skills but also in hospital rotations, whether that be in-situ or just-in-time training to maintain most of that retention  Can you talk to us about how SimManager can be used as a platform to schedule and maintain this type of ongoing program and culture of simulation training?

Lisa: We feel strongly that competency is an ever-changing ever-flowing thing that you don’t just take a one time skills test and you’re done – but it is something that is actionable and that people need to constantly be taking a look at competency in term of an ongoing evolution over time and skill level. SimManager is a great platform in order to maintain those competencies; for example taking a look at your classes, making sure your curriculum is where it needs to be, using a schedule to building in simulation events and scheduling courses, downloading scenarios and allocating them to simulators – all of that is just part of the functionality of simmanager which is an excellent platform to use when evaluating competency.

Lance: Having directed a medical simulation center, there is a serious underestimation about the amount of time and energy it takes to running a medical simulation program initially and ongoing. And so tools that allow for administrators to start and engage with a continual process to manage tools, equipment, staff and learners, rooms, scheduling, scenarios is definitely something folks should consider for that long-term implementation of a program. It’s not just about that initial funding for equipment, but it will really require permanent staff, training, and time to prepare and engage in ongoing competencies.

Lisa: Absolutely, and there are so many moving parts to manage competencies  Even the AHA is moved into the maintenance of those skills. So HealthStream is very supportive of those organizations that also want to hone in on those competencies and make sure their staff is component in that flowing environment and be able to capture that data through our tools.



healthstream simulation

SimManager capabilities include:

  • Ability to manage simulation rooms, equipment, instructors, and techs
  • Track, manage, and report
  • Schedule and assign simulation learning activities
  • Manage simulation content
  • Integrate simulation scenarios into learning curricula
  • Customize role management
  • Schedule reports for simulator utilization and activity
  • Upload and store simulator debriefing files
  • Capture activity on learner transcripts
  • Integrate with Laerdal simulators
  • Integrate with SimCenter product suite, including SimStore, SimDeveloper & SimView

You can learn more about SimManager features by watching my comprehensive product breakdown article below:

You can learn all about SimManager and other SimCenter systems at the HealthStream website.


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