Government Awards $5 Million to Study Medical Simulation

The federal government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has awarded more than $5 million for 19 new grants focusing on assessing and evaluating the roles that simulation can play to improve the safe delivery of quality healthcare.

The simulation projects focus on a range of interventions that can contribute to a safer health care environment, including effective communication among healthcare teams, disclosure of medical errors to patients and their families, the effects of implementing health information technology, and patient handoffs and transitions within hospitals. Several projects focus on teamwork in high-risk settings such as emergency departments, labor and delivery units, and intensive care units. These projects will have an immediate and long-term impact by accelerating the implementation of new simulation tools to improve patient safety