Intraoperative MRI space simulation
Whitaker Clinic of UAB Hospital emergency preparedness simulation
SPACE SIMULATIONS: IMPROVING THE FUTURE OF THE PATIENT CARE
ENVIRONMENT BEFORE IT IS BUILT
This year, The Office of Interprofessional Simulation for Innovative
Clinical Practice (OIPS) provided value to UAB Medicine outside
of training clinicians by participating in several facilities planning
simulations. Commonly referred to as space simulations, these events
are held to assess the feasibility of workflow processes and the layout
of new clinical areas, such as those in The Kirklin Clinic of UAB Hospital
and Whitaker Clinic of UAB Hospital. Along with the Facilities Planning
and Performance Engineering departments, OIPS partnered with
clinicians and administrative executives across UAB Medicine to collect
feedback on potential room layouts, equipment, and furniture needed to
deliver the best possible care to our patients.
On April 25, an intra-operative MRI space simulation was held on the
eighth floor of the Women & Infants Center that included a mockup of
an operating room, a diagnostic room, space in which the MRI magnet
would be housed, and a control room. Lighting and boom vendors also
took part in the simulation to ensure the simulated space provided an
accurate representation of the proposed space plans. Clinicians and
executives were invited to walk through the space mockup and observe
or participate in various simulated patient scenarios designed to test
room layout and functionality. Invaluable discussions took place, and
feedback regarding the construction plans was collected and presented
to the Facilities Planning department.
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UAB Quality and Safety Annual Report
The Whitaker building renovation that created Whitaker Clinic of UAB
Hospital has been a major priority for UAB Medicine for the past several
years. In August, OIPS partnered with Primary Care, Dermatology,
hospital lab, and Radiology to hold multiple simulations in the newly
renovated space. In order to test emergency management and ancillary
workflow, participants of these simulations utilized the new clinic
spaces in the same ways they would when providing care to patients.
As a result, multiple opportunities for improvement were identified and
communicated to the Facilities Planning department prior to the new
clinic’s opening.
Other space simulations this year were held in The Kirklin Clinic of UAB
Hospital, in our extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) suite,
and in the UAB Medicine Gardendale clinic’s exam room mockups.
These simulations added value to recent expansion and renovation
projects by identifying workflow improvements, drawing attention to
potential patient safety issues, and highlighting specific clinician needs.
Proactive efforts such as space simulations are vital to improving safety
for our patients and providers.