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. 2020 Mar 4;6(2):87-94.
doi: 10.1136/bmjstel-2018-000370. Epub 2018 Sep 29.

Using clinical simulation to study how to improve quality and safety in healthcare

Guillaume Lamé  1 , Mary Dixon-Woods  1
Affiliations

Using clinical simulation to study how to improve quality and safety in healthcare

Guillaume Lamé et al. BMJ Simul Technol Enhanc Learn. .

Abstract

Simulation can offer researchers access to events that can otherwise not be directly observed, and in a safe and controlled environment. How to use simulation for the study of how to improve the quality and safety of healthcare remains underexplored, however. We offer an overview of simulation-based research (SBR) in this context. Building on theory and examples, we show how SBR can be deployed and which study designs it may support. We discuss the challenges of simulation for healthcare improvement research and how they can be tackled. We conclude that using simulation in the study of healthcare improvement is a promising approach that could usefully complement established research methods.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests None declared.

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