Originally, surgical simulators offered surgeons an in depth, technical way to hone their skills, but this technology was restricted by the size, availability and quality of the stationary equipment. In recent years, simulators have evolved, becoming available through smartphone and tablet apps. The accessibility, affordability and overall convenience the downloads offer means more people can access this training information. According to the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, “Healthcare simulation is coming of age, and has begun to share much with established methods in aviation, spaceflight, nuclear power, shipping and the military”.
In effort to assess where the industry is going and what options surgical teams rely on, Research Facts published The Top 60 Developers of Medical and Surgical Simulation Products Worldwide. It names companies, including CAE Healthcare, IngMar Medical, Mentice, Simbionix, Simulab, SynDaver Labs and Touch Surgery, as industry leaders.
How does your facility use simulators? What types of simulators do you use? How reliable do you find these apps?