January 11, 2021By Lance Baily

A Look Ahead: 2021 Healthcare Simulation Conferences and Events

After a year of healthcare simulation conference cancellations and virtual adaptations, many organizations and associations have postponed their events until 2021. Additionally, a number of clinical simulation conferences will continue as planned for the new year, although many will be held virtually online. Regardless of the method of presentation, these clinical simulation events present an exciting opportunity for simulationists across the world to come together in the hopes of sharing information and insights, and leading the field into the next level of utilization. Here below are some of the medical simulation conferences 2021 that we are most excited about!

The following conferences may still be affected by COVID-19 disruptions:

The Gathering of Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialists (SimGHOSTS) hosts a number of events each year. This year, the SimGHOSTS 2021 annual conference will be hosted by the Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ahead of this event, SimGHOSTS is calling for abstracts for presentations, demonstrations and workshops that show how exploration, discovery, growth and engagement are being used to advance healthcare simulation.


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In terms of COVID-19 accommodations, SimGHOSTS expressed that, “We will do our best to deliver face-to-face as well as virtual attendance options for this event. If circumstances are such that it is not safe to have face-to-face attendance the event will be fully virtual, with full refunds or transfers of registrations available.”

SimGHOSTS also plans to host two additional events, a SimGHOSTS X one-day Event (the eXpress SimGHOSTS experience) in Memphis, Tennessee; and SimGHOSTS Australia in Melbourne, Australia. Dates for these events have not yet been announced, but will be updated on the SimGHOSTS website when dates are known.

The Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine (SESAM) will host the SESAM Virtual Annual Meeting from April 14 to April 16. This is SESAM’s first online meeting, and will offer members and the wider clinical simulation community a unique opportunity to gather virtually. The conference will allow all those working in the field of healthcare simulation to hear from leading international practitioners in a safe learning environment. This simulation conference will further enable others to join online from anywhere in the world to catch up on the latest healthcare simulation practices in Europe.


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SESAM’s scientific committee has worked hard to put together an inspiring program which will include timely keynote lectures, along with a selection of educational workshops to share the science from the postponed meeting. The event will also introduce new healthcare simulation content developed specifically for our additional COVID-19 track. SESAM’s committee is working to add additional sessions to the program that take particular advantage of our virtual simulation platform for what promises to be a content-rich, but also very social, three-day program.

The 2021 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) annual healthcare conference will be a hybrid learning experience that offers both in-person and virtual participation options. The in-person element of the conference will take place from June 16 to June 19 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado; and the virtual component will grant online access from June 16 to July 15. During the in-person hybrid conference, some activities will take place in-person, while others will be live-streamed or recorded to be accessed by the virtual participants. Additionally, some sessions will remain available only as virtual content.



Note: In-person registrants will have access to all virtual content, and some content will be exclusive to those who participate in the in-person event. Virtual registrants will have the option to earn 10 or 20 Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credits. Full-conference in-person registrants will have access to approximately 17 credits at the event and all virtual content, which will include the opportunity to earn approximately 30 CNE. Each day, registrants will have access to content presented in-person on that particular day. The number of credits available to one-day registrants varies based on the day for which they choose to register.

The theme for the 2021 International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) conference is “Emotion, Inspiration and Creativity: Pathways to Global Health Quality,” and will be held from July 8 to July 11 in Florence, Italy. Attendees will join over 1,500 medical and healthcare professionals from over 80 countries for this “quality in healthcare” simulation conference. As part of the conference’s theme, ISQua chose to discuss three key essential components of the renaissance: emotion, inspiration and creativity. The organization believes these will be the pathway to global health quality.

Typically, CAE Healthcare’s largest Human Patient Simulation Network (HPSN); the Winter Institute for Simulation, Education, and Research (WISER); the SIM Expo; New Zealand Association for Simulation in Healthcare (NZASH); the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare (ASPiH UK); and the International Pediatric Society for Simulation (IPSS) host conferences throughout the year as well. No conference dates have been announced to date, but HealthySimulation.com will check with the organizations to make sure when any information is available for these events, it can be relayed to the greater simulation community.

Other Upcoming 2021 Simulation Conferences Include:

Know of a healthcare simulation conference or event not mentioned? Email us the event title, dates, location, the link and that you would like to be featured!

See All the Latest Upcoming Healthcare Simulation Conferences


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