Roadmap to success

Defining solution focus from the onset is paramount to a successful journey. Establishing requirements such as whether the solution will be fully immersive (VR) or allow for a blended mixed reality experience, is key to success. Knowing whether a simulation is being built to understand the steps of a procedure, or whether it is to deliver full surgical skills training is an important distinction. Where the objective is surgical skills training, a higher fidelity solution will be required, with haptic feedback vital to locking in the correct pressure and accuracy.

Focus should also remain on where technology can overcome pain points for end users and offer the most potential for improvements. Concentrating on what the simulation can achieve in terms of things that are hard, expensive or dangerous in the real world. Breakthroughs are achieved when clarity on commercial benefits is revealed, an authentic end user voice is captured and a solid business case gains leadership approval.

The importance of a strong end user voice can't be denied. Capturing it sometimes means going beyond traditional practices and engaging directly with the healthcare professionals who will be using the technology.

During the development of a surgical training simulator, one project team worked directly with a leading surgeon throughout the early build stages. The close collaboration resulted in a better understanding of the intended haptics and the ability to achieve the correct resistance/friction values in real time. The surgeon's access to simulation development not only improved accuracy, but also built trust and will aid adoption for future users.

Teams can provide VR equipment and regular interim builds with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), helping to early 'road test' solutions and opening opportunities to refine interactions for greater real-world accuracy.

One medical association that decided to adopt a collaborative approach did so by holding weekly development review calls with their KOLs throughout the development solution phase. These calls were used to shape every detail of their simulator, meticulously going over every feature and aligning it with their educational objectives. This engaged approach ensured the final product was not only technically sound but also clinically effective for the end user's needs.

Breakthrough moments are achieved when constructive feedback is received from end users. Incorporating Hospital-Based Trainings (HBTs) is an effective way to support this process, helping early users develop clarity and ease of use. These initial users are given in-person training, effectively creating “super-users” who then go on to train others with confidence.

For one simulator project, a more hands-on approach made all the difference. HBTs were deployed to ensure a smoother, more efficient roll out. By taking a more proactive approach to implementation, UX was significantly improved, users were able to overcome the initial learning curve with relative ease and utilization of the simulation increased.

By prioritizing the end user experience, through enhanced performance data and proactive user engagement, solutions become clear and adoption builds. Breakthrough moments happen when successful users are able to demonstrate impact, becoming champions for the solution and reinforcing the value of the investment.

Today's simulations capture a wealth of data on utilization, as well as specific individual level and rolled up data scores on the progress, accuracy, mistakes and speed. While program success is often judged in terms of accessibility and usage, intelligent reporting and actionable insight from performance data, helps shed light on the impact on user confidence, speed and performance.

For one hospital in India, simulation is now a compulsory part of the program and integral to their wet lab training. With high usage comes continued improvement, even from the most novice surgeons who report becoming quickly independent on the simulator.

Other data includes improved patient outcomes and reduced trainer time in the operating room. This breakthrough requires the implementation of data recording beyond the simulator itself and when in place provides powerful evidence for the technology's real-world impact and helps build good momentum for wider adoption.

The ability to scale beyond the initial phase can depend on the commercial model chosen and the simulator's platform and technology design. It's important that when shaping the solution due consideration has been given to this so that you are set up to scale in a way that is robust and financially and technically feasible to your organizations, your development partners and end users.

As seen throughout the journey, a proactive approach is the best way to empower champions and inspire advocates who can support rollouts and help reduce reliance on traditional training methods. Breakthrough is achieved when a clear proof of impact and a compelling ROI is established, leading to approval for a wider scale up.

A strong enterprise scale up plan and business case should be established to secure support and manage resistance. Leveraging reusable elements of the solution to identify efficiencies and ways to effectively measure impact in terms of ROI, value, training time and product utilization, are also vital.

By focusing on performance outliers, issues can be diagnosed faster, and best practices can be easily captured to provide necessary solutions. Breakthrough is achieved when optimization establishes a clear and consistent ROI.

Throughout the entire journey, commitment to the end user experience reigns supreme. With a clear vision of the future, end users are key to driving solutions forward, capturing new requirements, recognizing opportunities and providing the vital feedback that will define future solutions.