Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare

Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare
Name	Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare
Abbreviation	ASPH
Formation	1993
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Membership	Simulation educators, clinicians, technicians
Language	English

Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare is a professional association that supports simulation-based education and practice across clinical specialties and healthcare professions. The organization acts as a hub for educators, clinicians, technicians and policy makers from institutions such as National Health Service, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, King's College London and University College London to collaborate on standards, training and research. Its activities intersect with professional bodies including Royal College of Physicians, General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health Education England and international organizations like Society for Simulation in Healthcare, International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, and World Health Organization initiatives.

History

The association emerged in the 1990s alongside growth in simulation centers at institutions such as Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Marsden Hospital and academic units at University of Edinburgh and University of Manchester. Early influence drew on simulation pioneers affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Karolinska Institutet. Funding and policy dialogues involved bodies like Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health and Care Research and Department of Health and Social Care (UK). The organization convened stakeholders from Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Anaesthetists, British Medical Association and Royal College of Nursing to formalize curricula, echoing standards developed by European Society of Anaesthesiology and American Board of Surgery.

Mission and Objectives

The association's mission emphasizes safe, effective patient care through simulation-driven competence development in institutions such as St Thomas' Hospital, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Royal Victoria Infirmary and specialty centers like Great Ormond Street Hospital. Objectives include setting practice standards aligned with regulators like Care Quality Commission, promoting research partnerships with universities including University of Cambridge and University of Glasgow, and supporting workforce development with agencies such as Health Education England and NHS England. It advocates evidence-informed simulation methods referenced by organizations like National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and professional colleges including Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Membership and Governance

Membership spans clinicians from Royal Brompton Hospital, educators from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, technicians from simulation centers at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, and corporate partners. Governance typically features an elected council with representation resembling governance models at British Medical Association and Royal Society, and includes subcommittees comparable to those at European Resuscitation Council and Resuscitation Council UK. The board collaborates with advisory groups from Health Education England, Department of Health and Social Care (UK), and international partners like World Federation for Medical Education.

Activities and Programs

Programs include faculty development courses similar to offerings by Society for Simulation in Healthcare, standardized patient programs used by Medical Schools Council members, technical training for simulation technicians influenced by curricula at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and quality assurance aligned with Care Quality Commission. The association runs multicenter simulation collaborations with trusts such as Barts Health NHS Trust and research networks partnered with National Institute for Health and Care Research and academic units at University of Birmingham and King's College London. It curates clinical scenario libraries for specialties including surgery, obstetrics, anaesthesia, paediatrics and emergency medicine taught at institutions like Great Ormond Street Hospital and Royal London Hospital.

Conferences and Events

Annual conferences attract delegates from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, Karolinska Institutet and World Health Organization delegations, and feature keynote speakers from universities such as Harvard Medical School, University of Oxford and University of Toronto. Events include regional workshops modeled on trainings by European Society of Anaesthesiology, joint symposia with Resuscitation Council UK and collaborative meetings with International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. The association also organizes certification courses analogous to programs by Society for Simulation in Healthcare and technical expos showcasing vendors like Laerdal Medical and CAE Healthcare.

Partnerships and Accreditation

Strategic partnerships exist with academic institutions including Imperial College London, University College London and University of Edinburgh, healthcare providers like NHS England and professional regulators such as General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council. The association contributes to accreditation frameworks similar to those of Society for Simulation in Healthcare and aligns quality standards with guidance from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Care Quality Commission. It collaborates with international consortia including International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and World Health Organization patient safety programs.

Impact and Notable Contributions

The association has influenced simulation curricula adopted by Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Nursing and undergraduate programs at University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Its multicenter studies, produced in collaboration with National Institute for Health and Care Research and university partners like King's College London and University of Edinburgh, advanced evidence on simulation efficacy in acute care, perioperative safety and team training used by NHS England and international organizations including World Health Organization. Notable initiatives include national faculty development schemes, standardized assessment toolkits informed by work at Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins University, and cross-specialty simulation collaboratives involving Great Ormond Street Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital and Addenbrooke's Hospital.

Category:Healthcare professional associations