Montevideo. October 7, 2022. Within the framework of a working agreement between the Latin American Perinatology Center (CLAP/SMR) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU), a meeting was held to visit the facilities of the Contraception Simulation Center and to exchange views with the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Augusto Ferreira.
Regarding the origin of this clinical simulation center, Ferreira commented that it has been in existence for several years and is part of the organization's approach to the training of healthcare professionals. "It was necessary to set up clinical simulation scenarios as an additional input for learning". "Our model is theory through competency-based training, learning in laboratories and then learning in clinical practice. In this way we ensure quality patient care."
Regarding the benefits offered by the simulation center, he pointed out that there are many. "If you think about how a healthcare career was studied 20 years ago, it seems incredible, because before they studied the theory and then went directly to practice on patients. Today, the student goes through the learning process in the classroom through competency-based training; then that learning is reinforced in clinical simulation, in controlled practice, through simulators, robots or different types of simulation devices; and once they have generated that confidence, that learning, that skill, they go and can assist the real patient. It also implies benefits for the teacher because it forces him to update and recertify himself in this type of techniques".
The Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences also highlighted the importance of this type of alliance. "We understand that when 2 institutions of this magnitude come together, the benefits are many for the professionals who work in them, for the students, but above all for the patients who are the ultimate recipients of the improvement in the quality of care and the quality of care."
Finally, Ferreira said that through the joint work with CLAP/WR the Clinical Simulation Center will continue to be strengthened in the area of immediate post-obstetric contraception and that, from now on, actions will be coordinated for the training of tutors and health professionals "who can train others and transmit knowledge to other countries that may not have the health indicators that Uruguay has".
Meanwhile, the Regional Advisor on Sexual and Reproductive Health of CLAP/WR, Dr. Rodolfo Gómez Ponce de León, pointed out that the link with the UCU and, particularly, with the Center for Clinical Simulation, implies "a significant growth in relation to the training of human resources at distance". The UCU is internationally recognized for its teaching capacity and innovation in technology, so, by relying on its infrastructure and teaching capacity, we will be able to strengthen our training products, especially in countries of the region that need to improve the quality of their services".
Gómez also highlighted the relevance of training trainers and, in relation to this, he informed that UCU teachers are going to participate in a simulation activity with gynecologists from the Latin American and Caribbean region. "There they will be able to verify the criteria used by PAHO and, from there, we will be able to establish the specific design of the training of the tutors".
Moreover, the CLAP/WR Advisor said that "although we are starting with the area of sexual and reproductive health, the idea is to continue including other areas such as maternal health and neonatal health".
