Multidisciplinary Simulation and Skills Centre
Kowloon Central Cluster

High-tech simulation enhances task mastery

Established in 2011, Multidisciplinary Simulation and Skills Centre (MDSSC) is the first centre in Hong Kong accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The Centre assists different specialties and departments in organising simulation training through team collaboration and innovation and help boost the confidence of medical staff in handling actual cases, thereby enhancing the quality of healthcare services.

Dr Chia Nam-hung, team leader and Director of MDSSC explains that colleagues from different departments approach the Centre every year, hoping to organise training to address service needs and bridge the training gap. The Centre has already organised over 2,300 training courses, 40% of which were multidisciplinary, for more than 40,000 attendances of the staff in total in Hospital Authority. The prime training focuses are the inter-departmental and specialty training on emergency care, vascular and traumatology for doctors, nurses and other professional medical staff. Besides, the Centre also offers training and venue support for other departments.

Knowing how technology progresses by leaps and bounds, MDSSC is dedicated to exploring new frontiers in simulation training. Dr Eric So and Dr George Ng, Associate Directors of MDSSC, illustrate this with several examples. Expected to launch within this year, the Centre is developing an interactive training programme on ‘type & screen’ with the application of virtual reality technology. This can overcome the spatial and other limitations for delightful training with higher efficiency. What is more, the Centre has collaborated with multiple departments to produce over 70 medical models through 3D printing for pre-operative planning, training and education. Also, they worked together with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in the development of a training simulator of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation for the training of cardiology team on the procedure.

Stone Yuk-han, one of the team leaders and Manager of MDSSC emphasises that every course has to be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee which composed of experienced trainers to safeguard training quality. Simulation allows the acquisition and application of clinical skills through deliberate practice in a high fidelity simulated setting. A trainee can learn from errors in the risk-free training environment which can avoid any potential medical malpractice in real clinical situation. “A nurse from Intensive Care Unit encountered an emergency situation on drug safety that she had gone through in simulation training on medication safety. She turned out to be able to apply what she’d learnt in a prompt and calm manner and administered sound treatment for the patient.”

The team attributes the award to unfailing support, advice and encouragement from all sides, including HA Head Office, the management of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, as well as the passion and active participation of instructors and participants. The Centre strives to play the pivotal role of facilitating continuous improvement in efficiency, safety and quality of healthcare services; and achieving excellence in healthcare through simulation-based learning.