Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Partnering to Heal - Excellent Example of Scenario-Based Learning

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health  released Partnering to Heal: Teaming Up Against Healthcare-Associated Infections, an interactive computer-based video-simulation training program.

Healthcare-associated infections harm many patients, causing injury and raising costs. On average, 1 in 3 patients admitted to a hospital suffers a medical error or adverse event and at any given time about 1 in every 20 patients is affected by an infection related to hospital care. On average, 1 in 7 Medicare beneficiaries is harmed in the course of care, costing the government an estimated $4.4 billion every year.

To help address this public health challenge, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health developed Partnering to Heal. This training program permits viewers to "become" one of five characters who can make decisions that impact health risks, and then view the results of those decisions and learn from the outcomes. It is designed to be used by students in the health professions, early-career clinicians, and other healthcare personnel, as well as patients and families to help prevent infections acquired in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Available online at no cost, Partnering to Heal promotes a team-based approach to reducing preventable infections and deaths in the United States."

Check it out:  http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/hai/training/