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SimHealth 2012 Innovation - Education - Research Making Teams Work The Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare Monday 10 September - Thursday 13 September 2012 Sydney Hilton Hotel, Sydney Australia

Abstracts

Download the Call For Abstracts.

Abstracts

Revise your Abstracts here.

Keep a record of your Access Key - you'll need it to make any revisions.

Abstracts closed 13th February 2012.

  • Abstracts must conform to the following requirements:
    • Indicate preferred presentation format (oral, poster, workshop, ask the experts: research I am trying to do, ask the experts: training I am trying to develop).
    • Please select a sub-theme from the list below which best describes the content of the presentation. Indicate this sub-theme in the space provided on the template.
    • Provide authors' names (asterisk the presenting author). Include presenting author's contact details including institution, address, email and telephone number.
    • Disclosure of Conflict of Interest (COI) – All authors must indicate that they do, or do not, have a financial interest/arrangement or direct affiliation with a corporate entity that has a direct interest in the subject matter of the abstract. Example of Disclosure: Julius Williams, PhD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
    • The word limit for all abstracts is 500 words.
  • Research abstracts (i.e. abstracts for oral and poster presentations as well as submissions in both 'ask the expert' categories) should be structured with the headings:
    • Title (up to 20 words)
    • Aims
    • Background
    • Methods
    • Results
    • Conclusions
    • References (excluded from word count)
  • Workshop proposals should be structured with the headings:
    • Title
    • Presenters
    • What are the specific objectives of the workshop?
    • What is the rationale for the workshop?
    • Who is the intended target audience (for example, instructors to develop their skills, managers to improve operations, or mixed audience etc)?
    • What is the optimal experience level of the participants (For example, beginner/novice with 1 - 3 years experience)?
    • What is the approximate timetable (for example, session activities, sequence of events, time allotments and an estimate of the total time allocated to hands on activities)
    • Please state whether your workshop is suitable for a 90 minute (typical) or 180 minute (may be offered in selected cases).

Research Awards

The objective of the Research Awards is to encourage scientific excellence in the areas listed in the conference sub-themes.

University of Technology Sydney, Research Awards Sponsor

Since 2011, the University of Technology Sydney has sponsored the Research Awards. A prize to the value of $200 will be awarded for each of:

  1. Overall best abstract
  2. Best technical abstract
  3. Best abstract
  4. Best research abstract
  5. Best poster (voted by delegates at the conference)

See photos of the Awards presentations at SimHealth 2011 and SimHealth 2010!

Call for Abstracts

Download the Call For Abstracts.

Eligibility

Research abstracts previously presented at one other national and/or international meeting are accepted. This applies only to research abstracts for oral presentations. If a research abstract has been presented previously, authors must disclose this. Previously presented abstracts will not be eligible for research awards. NB: Workshops and posters that have been presented previously are welcome.

Material previously published, as an article in a peer-reviewed journal, may not be submitted as an abstract.

Blinding

Only a FULLY BLINDED version of your abstract is to be submitted for the purpose of review. Blinding means no identification of authors, institution of origin, geographic area, sources of funding, or author references may appear in the Title or the Text of the abstract.

For example, do not state “this study was approved by the University of Sydney's Ethics Review Committee”, rather, “Local Ethics Review Committee approval was obtained.”

If the abstract relates to previous work the authors may state "Reference withheld for blind review purposes" and include the full reference in a revised version for the conference program. Abstracts may be rejected if they do not conform to these conditions.

Peer Reviewing

All abstracts will undergo a blinded peer review

Submissions will be assessed on content, quality and relevance to the themes of the meeting. Works in progress are welcome in the poster category or the 'ask the experts' categories.

Please note that given the limited number of oral presentation places available, the Committee may determine that some abstracts are better suited to poster rather than oral presentation. Research abstracts will be judged in five areas: originality (20%), methods (20%), data analysis (20%), conclusion (20%) and relevance to conference themes (20%).

Workshop proposals will be judged in five areas: interactivity (20%), content (20%), feasibility (20%), learning objectives (must be explicit) (20%) and experience/expertise of presenters (20%).

Research Awards

The objective of the Research Awards is to encourage scientific excellence in the areas listed in the conference sub-themes.

Awards will be given for:

  1. Overall best abstract
  2. Best technical abstract
  3. Best abstract ‘Pushing the boundaries’
  4. Best research abstract
  5. Best poster (as voted by delegates at the conference)

See photos of the 2011 Awards presentations at SimHealth 2011 and SimHealth 2010!

Sub-Themes of Making Teams Work

Education, Training and Assessment

For example:

  • Inter-professional learning
  • Curriculum development and evaluation
  • Teaching methods including debriefing methodologies
  • Educational outcomes

Policy, Operational and Resource Issues

For example:

  • Workforce
  • Impact of simulation on length of training
  • Cost of simulation and simulation resources
  • Distributed simulation
  • Simulation centre operations
  • Accreditation, certification and credentialing

Patient Safety

For example:

  • Human factors and patient safety research in simulated environments
  • Usability testing (new clinical equipment or new hospital design) in simulated environments
  • Simulated case re-enactment and review 
  • Workplace culture and teamwork
  • Implementation of safety initiatives using simulation

Innovation and New Technologies

For example:

  • Hybrid or mixed methodology simulation
  • Computer modelling of health delivery processes
  • Quality improvement methodology
  • Innovation in simulation planning and delivery
  • New ways, new techniques for facilitating simulation
  • Safe systems design
  • Telemedicine
  • Robotics
  • Gaming
  • Virtual reality

Formats

1. Posters

One of the aspects of SimHealth that has traditionally been strong is the scientific program. The number of abstracts has increased every year and consequently this year there will be a change in emphasis of presentation of these papers. Selected papers will still be invited as oral presentations; however the majority of authors will be invited to present in a poster format. Presenters will give a short (3 - 5 minute) explanation of the posters during special poster rounds moderated by a keynote speaker or simulation expert.

Posters should be no more than 84cm (wide) x 119cm (high) in dimension. Authors must attend their posters during the allocated time to answer questions. The poster should include author and co-authors' names, a short title and the name of the institution where the work was carried out. Posters may include completed research or works in progress.

Electronic material or limited practical demonstrations at the poster rounds are encouraged although because of the timing these will need to be brief to fit within the 5 minute presentation time slot.

See photos of the Posters from SimHealth 2011!

2. Oral Presentations

The number of oral presentations at the conference will be limited this year. Authors wishing to present results of original research or report on educational or other projects are invited to submit in this section.

Successful research abstracts will present clear outcomes data. Reports on educational or other projects should include data beyond participant satisfaction. Incomplete abstracts will not be considered.

Fifteen minutes will be allocated for oral presentations with five  minutes for questions. A Conflict of Interest statement must be included in each presentation.

3. Workshops

Workshops are short, focused, interactive sessions. A limited number of 90-minute sessions, and in exceptional circumstances 180-minute sessions, are available for presenters who wish to present small group educational sessions or conduct in-conference workshops.

4. Ask the experts: research I am trying to do

The aim of this session is to assist researchers wishing to conduct research in one aspect of simulation. Members of the audience should benefit from shared ideas. Participants are invited to submit abstracts under this category to present work in progress for discussion among the audience and expert facilitators. The standard submission template should be used; including aims, background and proposed methods, but it is not expected that results or conclusions will be included.

5. Ask the experts: training I am trying to develop

The aim of this session is to develop training solutions for identified training needs for specific groups. Participants are invited to submit abstracts under this category to present work in progress for discussion among the audience and expert facilitators. The standard submission template should be used; including aims, background and proposed methods, but it is not expected that results or conclusions will be included.

Registration

All presenting authors must register and pay for their attendance at the conference.

Abstracts Presented

Note: "Results" and "Conclusions" for Abstracts will be available on the web-site 6 months after SimHealth.

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