CHADDS FORD, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DecisionSim, Inc., the leading provider of healthcare simulation-based learning platforms, announced today it has acquired a digital communication-skills training and assessment technology from the Drexel University College of Medicine, which the company is commercializing as CommSim™. This latest acquisition enables DecisionSim, Inc. to offer a complete education experience, adding communications training to the company’s decision-making simulation platform, DecisionSim™.
“We continually look for ways to innovate and collaborate to provide the most comprehensive simulation-based teaching and assessment model for healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs,” said Bob Yayac, CEO of DecisionSim, Inc. “We have engaged experts in communications-skills training, research, and education to oversee all aspects of CommSim and ensure full integration with our established DecisionSim platform.”
CommSim, created at Drexel by Christof Daetwyler, M.D., Dennis Novack, M.D., and Gregory McGee and refined for over a decade, facilitates remote audiovisual encounters between trainees and standardized patients for practicing and assessing healthcare communication competencies. It was funded through a grant awarded by the University City Science Center’s QED Program. Founded in 2009, QED is the nation’s first multi-institutional proof-of-concept program supporting academic researchers who are developing early life sciences and digital health technologies with high commercial potential. This latest action by DecisionSim, Inc. marks QED’s seventh licensing event.
“It’s very rewarding to see this program evolve and merge with other technologies to drive advances in healthcare training and delivery,” said Dr. Daetwyler, associate professor in Family, Community and Preventive Medicine at Drexel. “The collaboration is a prime example of academia and industry joining forces to maximize the potential of healthcare simulation.”
DecisionSim, Inc.’s innovative blended learning model is a critical component for improving quality, safety, and cost-reduction in a complex, evolving U.S. healthcare environment. Research has shown that ineffective healthcare team communication is the root cause of almost two-thirds of all medical errors, costing Americans billions of dollars in missed prevention opportunities and unnecessary, inefficient services.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in the U.S.—has been using DecisionSim since it launched a pilot program with DecisionSim, Inc. in 2011. Based on the success of the pilot, the VA signed a five-year, enterprise-wide contract in 2012, providing all VA employees access to DecisionSim. DecisionSim, Inc. plans to add CommSim into its existing healthcare training and assessment programs, offering expanded education opportunities for the VA’s more than 340,000 employees.
About DecisionSim, Inc.
DecisionSim, Inc. has been a leading provider of simulation technology and services to the healthcare industry since 2010. Its simulation-based learning platform, DecisionSim™, enhances decision-making by allowing organizations to easily create assessment, education and training programs that deliver insights and improve outcomes through real-world engagement.
DecisionSim allows for rapid development of customized simulations that can be deployed across all devices. These simulations enable learners to make decisions in context, applying knowledge and receiving real-time feedback—an adaptive learning approach that increases engagement and accelerates mastery. All interaction data is tracked and analyzed to deliver objective, actionable insights that lead to improved outcomes. DecisionSim is used for assessment, education and training by all levels of healthcare providers, staff and patients, and has been applied to both medical and non-medical training.
DecisionSim has been adopted by organizations around the world, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other top healthcare systems, innovators in patient education, pharmaceutical companies, professional societies, continuing medical education providers, insurers, and academic institutions as well as corporate training organizations. To learn more, visit www.DecisionSim.com. Follow DecisionSim, Inc., on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine has established some of the most highly innovative and rigorous academic programs available today, incorporating the University’s expertise in engineering and technology into traditional medical training. The College of Medicine is home to one of the nation’s leading centers for spinal cord research; one of the foremost centers for malaria study; and a highly regarded HIV/AIDS program with extensive NIH-funded research in prevention and therapeutic interventions. Drexel University College of Medicine has been designated a Vanguard National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and is highly respected in numerous other specialties including cardiology and the neurosciences. Visit www.drexelmed.edu for more information. Follow Drexel University College of Medicine on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.