PerSim: Lives Saved by a Thousand Mistakes
As we were about to deliver a PerSim system to Austin Community College the other day, I was reminded of the possibilities of how this company can transform the landscape of healthcare training. Last week while we were visiting some fire stations a voice rose from the corner of the room. I could not see his face, but his voice gently boomed across all other noises and sidebar conversations. It was immediately evident in the body language of the other firefighters in the room that this was the voice of someone respected and well regarded. The question, “So, you are going to take 15 years of experience and compress it into this medical simulator?”
The question was incisive and thought provoking. My answer to the Chief was, “Yes, that is the idea.” But in all honesty I couldn’t stop thinking about the Chief’s question for days afterwards. PerSim like any technology may have inherent limitations, but it does something that is rare. It captures and stimulates the imagination of those who encounter it. Spend a few minutes in the PerSim experience and your mind begins to see new possibilities. Your mind races just a bit as each person begins to think of specific moment where a tool like PerSim could have made a difference in a patients life or their own training.
Truth be told Chief: PerSim will not leverage 15 or 20 years of clinical experience. Rather, the vision is that PerSim will leverage hundreds of years of clinical experience across thousands of providers and create an ability to learn from thousands of mistakes we all have collectively made in our journey in healthcare.
Imagine a tool that could accelerate the learning curve and impart the wisdom and experiences of thousands. Talk about a game changer. How many lives could be impacted?
Hector
