Training critical care teams for disaster response: Mass casualty incident simulation

Abstract

Healthcare simulation is a common training tool with strong evidence for improving learning that has been validated in disaster medicine. Systematic reviews demonstrate multiple benefits for emergency response teams, in particular, teaching nonclinical skills such as communication and disaster coordination. For ED clinicians, disaster medicine simulation typically centres around mass casualty incidents (MCIs), where the number and nature of casualties overwhelm the resources and capacity of a department or service. Simulation can facilitate repetitive practice otherwise, unmet by experiential learning in the workplace.