Hospital da Luz Learning Health Simulation Centre joined the congress of the Portuguese Society of Minimally Invasive Surgery (SPCMIN) , which took place in Peniche, on the 29 and 30 October. The participation in this national gathering of specialists viewed to contribute to the dissemination of the decisive role of simulation in the future of medicine and health professionals, having included the availability to the participants of a few simulators by the Centre, with the support of Medical Simulator. In the first day of the congress, a workshop was organized on the role of simulation in education in surgery, having for speakers, among others, Cátia Botelho Costa, responsible for the HL Learning Health Simulation Centre , and Kris Maes , director of the Uro-oncology Centre and the Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre of Hospital da Luz Lisboa, one of the top world specialists in the area. The importance of simulation for the functioning of organizations in general, and mostly in the area of health, and the management and funding of the Simulation Centre were the topics approached by Cátia Costa in her intervention, while surgeon Kris Maes spoke of the impact of simulation in the education of specialists in urologic surgery. The younger participants – namely internists of specific education in the areas englobed by SPCMIN – had the opportunity to learn about and train some procedures in simulators of minimally invasive surgery by laparoscopy and robotic. They also got to know UpHill Simulate – the UpHill platform (a start-up of Luz Saúde group dedicated to creating specific solutions in this area), with clinical cases for training and medical simulation. Both the workshop and the training with simulators generated great interest and very positive critics from participants. Simulation is a versatile, interactive and innovative educational methodology. Training based on simulation offers learning in a realistic and predictable environment, and in the case of health, without putting the patient at risk. The Hospital da Luz Learning Health Simulation Centre: Is located at Hospital da Luz Lisboa. Is a state-of-the-art centre, the largest in Portugal and one of the major centres in Europe. Includes over 100 simulators and mannequins for the training of present or future health professionals, some of such equipment being of the most advanced in the world. SPCMIN: Was founded in 2006. Has for main purpose to raise the awareness of health professionals, and in particular surgeons, to less aggressive practices and procedures, based on scientific evidence, institutional certification, and technical and technological advances.
