Mater Education’s simulation technical team recently won a People’s Choice Award for their presentation at SimGHOSTS 2018—a conference highlighting the use of technology and virtual environments in simulation programs to improve learner and patient outcomes.

SimGHOSTS (The Gathering Of Healthcare Simulation Technology Specialists) is an international US-based non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting individuals and institutions operating medical simulation technology and spaces. SimGHOSTS, in collaboration with Simulation Australasia, the Australian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (ASSH), and the 7th Annual Serious Games Showcase & Challenge, held the three-day conference at the University of the Sunshine Coast, drawing around 100 attendees, including international guests.

Mater Medical Illustrator Videographer Neil Fainges and Simulation Technical Coordinator Paul Ferguson ran a two-hour workshop on audio use in simulation. The hands-on, interactive workshop educated attendees on how to acoustically treat rooms to stop reverberation and reflections while recording, how to correctly plug in and use microphones and how to operate a mixing console.

“The workshop provided a great opportunity to help people gain the technical skills necessary to gain the full benefits of simulation,” Paul said.

“Often, simulation laboratories tend to focus on the video side when recording simulations. That’s important, but you also need to hear what’s being said between everyone in a simulation.”

The workshop won a People’s Choice Award for Presentation, as voted by attendees using an app on their phones.

“Our attendees engaged well in the workshop. A lot of them came from simulation centres where they had plenty of equipment but lacked in technical knowledge on how to properly use it. We gave them pointers and provided effective solutions,” Paul said.

Neil added that the conference provided a great opportunity for Mater to increase its presence in the field of simulation, and demonstrate the multidimensional services that Mater offers in this space.

“SimGHOSTS 2018 provided an excellent opportunity to boost our presence in the field of simulation,” Neil said.

“Presenting a workshop enabled us to demonstrate that we’re multi-faceted. We don’t just have clinicians on our team; we’ve got people who have expertise in technical fields too. We’re not just a hospital; we offer a wide range of services in the simulation space.”