ECMO simulation and beyond

The last couple of decades has brought a lot of changes in thoughts and technology in the domain of simulation-based healthcare education, ranging from emergency preparedness using screen-based technology to the practice of precise surgical procedures with computerised simulators with haptic and performance feedback. There is a perpetually evolving educational and technological simulation continuum available to educators and clinicians promoting the practical and cognitive aspects of healthcare delivery. It is becoming an increasingly competitive market area from an industry perspective as more and more governments invest on technology to support educational initiatives and programmes in order to increase patient safety and standards of care. Although industry strives to develop more advanced and realistic simulators, it is increasingly argued that it is not necessarily linked to better learning outcomes. For an effective use of simulation as an educational approach, a key aspect is to focus on selecting the approach that best addresses the intended learning objectives.