Vital Anaesthesia Simulation Training (VAST); immersive simulation designed for diverse settings

Abstract

Simulation-based education (SBE) of health care providers is ubiquitous in well-resourced locations and has been used successfully to teach clinical and nontechnical skills. Numerous barriers prevent this important educational tool from widespread use in resource-limited and remote settings. Vital Anaesthesia Simulation Training (VAST) was founded with the aim of promoting the use of vivid, experiential simulation-based learning regardless of location. As an organization, VAST now offers a range of training opportunities. The 3-day VAST Course is a highly portable program that uses low-cost materials to teach core perioperative practices and non-technical skills for health care practitioners in diverse settings. The VAST Course is paired with the VAST Facilitator Course to build skills for SBE among local educators. The VAST Design Course equips simulation facilitators with tools for developing their own simulation scenarios. The VAST Foundation Year is a 48-week curriculum of active learning sessions for early anesthesia trainees, made available to VAST facilitators. This manuscript describes many of the challenges faced when delivering SBE in varied environments and indicates VAST’s strategies to help overcome potential barriers. An overview of the VAST scenario template and stepwise approach to scenario design is included (Supplemental Digital Content 1, https://links.lww.com/IJSGH/A14). While challenges facing SBE in resource-limited settings are significant, its potential value in this context is immense. VAST offers a viable platform for expanding SBE beyond the traditional simulation center.