[LUM#1] Very patient robots
How can we help healthcare professionals get their start? At the Nîmes School of Medicine, healthcare providers learn or refine the skills of their profession without putting their patients at the slightest risk.
“She’s in really bad pain, doctor. This isn’t normal—do something.” The tension is palpable in the delivery room, where Noëlle is about to give birth to her fourth child. After three uneventful births, she chose to deliver without an epidural.“Doctor, what’s going on? Isn’t this taking a long time? Is there a problem? ” The father’s stress is mounting. The baby’s head is already out, but its body is stuck. Diagnosis: shoulder dystocia. An emergency situation requiring an immediate response from the medical team. The resident, the midwife, and the nursing assistant bustling around Noëlle have only a few minutes to deliver the baby.
Emergencies
Two floors below, Istan, a 30-year-old man, is about to undergo surgery for appendicitis. A routine procedure. The anesthesiologists put him under before handing him over to the surgeons—business as usual. But suddenly, the monitoring screen goes haywire: the amount of CO2 exhaled by the young man is rising abnormally, and his temperature is skyrocketing. Istan is experiencing malignant hyperthermia, a rare and potentially fatal reaction to anesthesia. To save Istan, the anesthesiologists must administer the appropriate treatment as quickly as possible…
Just another day at the hospital? Not quite. We’re not in a hospital. And Noëlle and Istan aren’t patients like any others. They’re… robots. Welcome to the simulation platform at the Nîmes Faculty of Medicine. Known as SimHU Nîmes (short for Simulation Médicale Hospitalo-Universitaire), this exceptional facility allows medical students and other healthcare professionals to safely practice delicate medical procedures.
“It also allows practicing professionals to stay at the top of their game by facing exceptional situations,” notes Professor Michel Prudhomme, coordinator of the simulation platform.“These simulation sessions teach them not only to improve their technical skills, but above all their interpersonal skills,” says the project’s initiator. Managing a crisis situation, controlling stress and emotions, and knowing how to organize effectively as a team: these are all skills just as vital as medical procedures.
Hyper-realistic simulation
“Simulations force doctors to question themselves and reflect on their professional practices,” confirms Dr. Lana Zoric, scientific director of anesthesia simulations. She was the one who programmed “Istan’s” malignant hyperthermia.“We prepare the scenarios in advance and adapt them in real time; it’s very stressful for the anesthesiologists.”It’s also very stressful for the team that cared for “Noëlle.” In the delivery room, the resident, the midwife, and the nursing assistant almost forgot that their patient isn’t quite like the others.“It feels like a real delivery,” says Marie-Pascale Villette. The young midwife has already assisted with deliveries but has never had to manage a shoulder dystocia.“At least now I know what to expect and I’ll react better in a real-life situation. This simulation helps me be a better midwife.”By performing the right procedures but also by optimizing teamwork.“Each simulation session is followed by a debriefing where we discuss what was done and what could have been improved—an essential time for reflection and discussion ,” explains Valérie Courtin, the educational and scientific director of the midwifery platform.
A guarantee of safety for patients
In addition to Noëlle and Istan, the Nîmes Faculty of Medicine also has a newborn robot. These mannequins have already been used by dozens of midwives, pediatric nurses, nursing assistants, pediatricians, emergency physicians, and anesthesiologists. And that’s not all : “the simulation platform also features an anatomy lab that allows surgeons, radiologists, and physical therapists to refine their techniques.” Here, there are no high-techrobots: students and doctors train on human bodies donated to science. They can also perform surgeries on pig models, as pigs have the physiological makeup most similar to humans. “This platform is one of the most comprehensive in France,” emphasizes Michel Prudhomme. “All of these simulation tools allow doctors to maintain an excellent level of skill while also training in innovative techniques without risk to the patient.”
Noëlle’s delivery is over. Everything went smoothly, and the relieved medical team holds up a robot baby in great shape. As for Istan, he was saved thanks to the anesthesiologists’ composure and quick thinking. It really is reassuring.
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