With support from a grant from The Franklin H. and Ruth L. Wells Foundation, Penn State Hershey Clinical Simulation Center has completed a pilot project using simulation to enhance patient education. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center staff have recognized the growing need for patient and family education, as more patients are discharged from the hospital to home with a variety of medical devices and medical care needs. Using the same simulation-based medical education used to train health-care providers, staff can educate patients and their caregivers and increase their comfort and skill when providing necessary self-care at home.
This unique teaching approach uses a central line manikin to teach patients and their caregivers how to care for their PICC lines at home. Patients and their caregivers first watch a video demonstration of the procedure. The video is followed by an interactive session where the patient or caregiver performs the procedure on the manikin. Using manikins alleviates the stress of learning a medical procedure on oneself. It also allows the facilitator to evaluate whether the patient or designated caregiver would benefit from additional instruction or if different arrangements for line care would be appropriate.
The next phase of this study will include training for self-care needs such as wound care, home dialysis, G-tube and trachoestomy care.