Keywords: Primary health care, Medical Emergencies, Simulation education

Review:

Introduction:
Primary healthcare (PHC) teams interact with a large number of patients daily but rarely face urgent situations. The infrequency of these emergencies, combined with the need for complex knowledge and skills, pose a challenge for traditional education, which often focuses heavily on theory. Research has shown that the primary barrier for PHC teams in effectively managing emergencies is the lack of practical training or the failure to regularly update previously acquired skills. Simulation education is a training approach that involves creating an artificial clinical scenario within a safe and controlled environment, which can be a solution for PHC.
Project description:
The Erasmus + project Transsimed started in 2022. The project aims to increase the knowledge and skills of professionals, their competencies and efficiency in dealing with certain life-threatening situations using simulation education. The project is funded by the European Union. The project holder is Community Health Center Ljubljana, and the partners are Chair of family medicine of University in Zagreb’s School of Medicine, Health center Zagreb – Center (HCZC) and Chair of family medicine of the School of Medicine of the University of Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. Purpose of the project is to establish a competency-based sustainable system of education with simulations in PHC that will enhance the safety of patient management. The project ends in August of 2025.
Croatian results so far:
Newly equipped Simulation center in HCZC, with 15 educated instructors, started working in September 2023, and produced promising results. Two modules were made: advanced and basic life support with usage of automatic external defibrillator. All participants that finished training reported high satisfaction with the module, felt better suited for emergency situation, and expressed interest for continuous and further learning through simulation methods. This could contribute to the popularization of simulation education in PHC.