About ASSH

Simulation in healthcare is not a recent phenomenon, and in Australia can track its presence back at least nine years. Recently, however, it has become more mainstream and it is increasingly being regarded as an important component of education and training.

Simulation within healthcare is at a watershed with the use of centres likely to become a more prominent feature of our approach to training in the future. For example within the undergraduate domain the approach to education, offering the real possibility of a seamless transition from higher education to the workplace, may well change as a result of the new simulation paradigm. The use of simulation centres to address a range of issues from patient safety, credentialing, provision of meaningful clinical placements and up-skilling of IMGs to name but a few.

Simulation in Healthcare (SimTecT)
In November 2005 the healthcare sector conducted its first standalone conference (SimTect 2005) under the auspices of the Simulation Industry Association of Australia (SIAA). At the 2004 Conference a proposal to form a healthcare simulation society was agreed, to further the introduction of simulation within healthcare.
The conference is conducted under the auspices of the Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (ASSH). ASSH represents the interests of healthcare related simulation across Australia. ASSH is formally affiliated with the Simulation Industry Association of Australia; a not-for-profit body that has more than a decade of experience in the use of simulation in the military, commercial aviation and industry.

The 2007 SimTecT Conference was successful in addressing the role of simulation in improving and monitoring standards of health service delivery, as well as standards required of simulation facilities and providers. The conference attracted 162 full delegates and we are aiming to build on this number for 2008.
The theme for 2008 is Simulation – Realising the Potential with the venue being the Brisbane Education Centre and Skills Development Centre 8 – 11 September, 2008. The call for abstracts for this conference has recently been posted.