How Simulation Centers Can Expand
Use and Support of Healthcare Innovation

Simulation benefits Healthcare Professional’s skills and knowledge but also has the capability to improve patient care in other ways, such as through usability testing for health technologies and devices. Usability testing is the evaluation of a product’s ability, in the intended context of use, to be used in an effective and efficient manner, learned with ease by the user, and produce user satisfaction. Health-tech and innovation is dynamic with new devices continually emerging and digital health-technologies, or Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), seeing rapid and disruptive growth. With the growth of SaMD and physical devices, more Innovators than ever are trying to bring products to market. While Innovators and SMEs lack access to environments and end-users, Simulation Centres often have excess capacity, particularly during the summer months. While having excess capacity the amount of funding and the funding models for SCs is variable with competition within academic or healthcare institutions for funding and resources. Offering simulation space and expertise to Innovators to conduct usability testing and gather data to improve device design presents a way to fill capacity, secure sustainable funding, and improve healthcare. This webinar will present the importance of simulation for usability testing and how both Innovator and Simulation Centre needs can be met to ultimately improve patient care. Some of the major considerations and challenges when establishing this new service will be discussed along with potential future directions for simulation and usability testing in the virtual space.