A form of mental simulation with significant enhancements enabling teamwork training

Abstract

Mental simulation is a type of simulation in which the clinician mentally practices a task without physically doing it. With mental simulation, the clinician can individually go through all the steps of technical and behavioural skills, such as decision-making skills, that they would apply in a particular situation. However, since this activity is individual-based, it does not lend itself to practising interprofessional or team-working skills. Moreover, users of this approach cannot get feedback from their colleagues or educators. Therefore, we claim that an interactive mental simulation approach using the representation of a patient and equipment combined with thinking aloud could help to rehearse behavioural skills in a classroom-based environment with other team members but without the need for a manikin or advance simulation suits. We call this approach Visually Enhanced Mental Simulation (VEMS). VEMS can also be delivered remotely using online platforms while addressing the same learning objectives. In this article, it is argued that VEMS can be an interactive way of undertaking a simulation-based activity with limited resources yet in a very interactive manner to engage a team of learners from the same or different professions. Explanations regarding how it can be delivered face-to-face, as well as using an online platform, are provided.