Collaboration agreement for simulation-based learning at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital
The Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic have signed a collaboration agreement in simulation-based learning. The agreement will allow the Vall d’Hebron Centre for Advanced Clinical Simulation and the Cleveland Clinic to launch teacher training programmes specialised in simulation, share resources aimed at knowledge transfer, and work jointly on research and innovation projects related to healthcare education.
Dr Mónica Rodríguez, clinical associate of the Department of Surgery at the UAB and director of Teaching at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Vall d'Hebron Centre for Advanced Clinical Simulation, underlines the importance of this agreement: “This collaboration not only reinforces our commitment to high-level training but also allows us to share and enrich our knowledge with another world-leading institution. We are convinced that this alliance will have a positive impact on our objective of contributing, through training, to safer and higher quality healthcare”.
Dr Eduardo Mireles-Cabodevila, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Simulation Center, highlights the novelty of this collaboration for the US centre: “This is the first time we have established an alliance of this type, motivated by the identification of common areas of collaboration, such as professional development and the use of virtual reality. From there we also see that new lines of research can be developed. We are two centers with very similar missions, which has led to a unique and effective synergy.”
On 6 and 7 February, Kathleen Mau, administrative director of the Cleveland Clinic Simulation Center, and two other professionals from this center specialised in nursing and with a focus on different specialities, such as emergency and geriatrics and paediatrics, visited the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital with the aim of exploring possible future collaborations.
Joint training of instructors
With the aim of improving the skills of simulation educators, the agreement contemplates the creation of joint instructor courses, which will be developed both online and on-site at the facilities of each centre. The instructors trained in these courses will be able to provide training to other healthcare professionals and students at both centres. This will promote knowledge transfer and collaborative learning.
Among the first initiatives that have already been carried out within the framework of the collaboration agreement is the SEVA (Standard Education for Ventilatory Assistance) course, developed by the Cleveland Clinic. This course, carried out for the first time in Europe, offers comprehensive training in ventilatory assistance and ensures that healthcare professionals acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to provide optimal care in critical situations. For its part, the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital provides its innovative SIMOONS platform, a virtual clinical simulation tool that allows remote training of multidisciplinary teams for patient care in various clinical scenarios.
In addition, the agreement includes the possibility of bilateral visits by healthcare professionals to both centres, with the aim of reinforcing the educational experience and promoting innovation in clinical practice.
Research and innovation in clinical education
This agreement, which has been articulated through the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), will also address the identification of educational needs, the design of clinical simulation activities, and the implementation of research projects that will include observational and experimental studies in education, as well as the resulting publications. Another of the points included in the agreement is the creation of a Simulation Education Oversight Council, in which each institution will appoint two members of its teaching team to manage and oversee collaborative efforts. This structure will allow for the smooth coordination of joint activities and ensure that the established objectives are met.
A boost in visibility and international collaboration
To increase the visibility and impact of the collaboration, both parties are committed to participate in major events in the healthcare sector, such as the Simulation Week at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, where results and experiences will be shared to promote the exchange of knowledge among institutions around the world. Dr Jordi Bañeras, coordinator of the Vall d'Hebron Centre for Advanced Clinical Simulation and lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the UAB, emphasises: “With this agreement, Vall d'Hebron consolidates its position as a leading centre in healthcare training, strengthening its position in the international arena and ensuring that training activities remain at the forefront of the most advanced practices in clinical simulation”.