The Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM) is a healthcare simulation organization designed to encourage and support the use of simulation in healthcare for the purpose of training and research. Not affiliated with any medical or other specialties, the organization includes members with wide and varied backgrounds from within healthcare and medical education. All members have an interest and passion in medical simulation, and together they form a dynamic clinical simulation community filled with international protagonists of medical simulation across all of Europe.
With the aim to ensure the integration of simulation methodologies at all levels of healthcare as a tool to improve healthcare, SESAM’s vision is to improve healthcare through healthcare simulation. In doing so, SESAM hopes to enable safe, patient-centered care delivered by a competent and confident healthcare workforce in a well-functioning healthcare system.
In order to achieve our mission and vision, SESAM has developed a strategy with five strategic goals. Each goal has specific objectives and implementation plans, as the strategy is intended to be reviewed on a yearly basis at the SESAM Annual Retreat. This is to ensure the goals remain fit for purpose and responds to new challenges. This is especially important as the field of healthcare simulation advances and new challenges continuously arise. SESAM’s annual conference brings together regional and global experts from both academic and leading vendors.
SESAM’s five strategic goals include:
1. Sustainability: The continued presence and growth of a well-managed, financially secure, professionally relevant society with a sound infrastructure that is led by strong leaders is central to achieving SESAM’s mission and vision.
2. Community: Through the focussed expansion of the diversity of SESAM membership a vibrant SESAM membership community at the forefront of simulation-based and technology-enhanced methodologies will be maintained. This will be achieved through cultivating strategic partnerships with organizations with aligned missions. In addition, the momentum and energy present at annual meetings must be maintained throughout the year through expanding opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous collaboration throughout the year.
3. Knowledge: Through the development of a scientific strategy, SESAM will expand the knowledge and understanding of the field by promoting high-quality research and optimizing the dissemination of knowledge and skills related to simulation-based education and innovation across Europe and beyond. Promoting excellent safe patient care wherever it is delivered.
4. Access: In order to successfully disseminate knowledge, SESAM will develop the tools such as resource libraries and networks to facilitate sharing.
5. Quality: As the authority on simulation-based methodologies in Europe, SESAM will set and share standards of good practice.
SESAM Leadership
SESAM is represented by an executive committee and the general assembly. The executive committee members consist of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, each of whom is solely authorized to represent SESAM. Office holders are elected for two years and can be re-elected once.
In the case of the resignation of a member of the executive committee, the other members of the executive committee are required to find a substitute. This action must be confirmed at the next General Assembly, as these members are elected by the general assembly. If an executive committee member resigns membership from the SESAM society, the member automatically steps down from office in the executive committee.
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The executive committee is empowered to represent SESAM for legal purposes. Tasks for a single purpose that involve more than 2000 Euros are required to first be approved by the general assembly. Additionally, resolutions made by the executive committee will only be accepted when the majority of members are in agreement. In case of a tie, the president must cast the deciding vote.
The general assembly takes place each year in conjunction with a scientific meeting or workshop. A notice of the assembly includes the agenda and is to be sent to all members in advance, at least one month prior to the event. Decisions may not be made on matters that are not part of the agenda unless they are made unanimously, and resolutions of the general assembly shall be carried by a simple majority of the members that are present.
European Simulation Conferences
Each year, the Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine hosts a SESAM Simulation Meeting, with the year 2019 marking the 25th anniversary of this unique healthcare simulation conference. Each year provides an opportunity to see the latest medical simulation products from Laerdal, CAE Healthcare, Education Management Solutions, B-Line Medical, Gaumard, SIMStation, and more!
The annual meeting typically offers a variety of engaging keynote lectures and state-of-the-art sessions, along with a selection of educational workshops. A medical exhibition provides another great opportunity for members to connect with exhibiting companies and see the latest products and technology. SimGHOSTS, SoFraSimS, and IPSS leadership often help provide additional session content at these events.
SESAM Endorsed Meetings
SESAM supports the organization of high-quality events in the field of medical simulation. Organizers of SESAM Endorsed Meetings are authorized to use the SESAM logo and the sentence “(name of the meeting) is endorsed by SESAM” when marketing their event.
In order to become a SESAM Endorsed Meeting, your meeting is required to comply with the following criteria:
- At least one member of the organizing committee is an active SESAM member
- The (educational) objectives of the meeting are defined and published
- The meeting is in principle open to all SESAM members
- The meeting will be evaluated and the results will be fed back to the SESAM EC
- A brief report is submitted to the SESAM newsletter including the program, the numbers attending, background (eg doctors, nurses, psychologists, engineers, etc), and some interesting aspects that came out of the meeting.
- Any conflicts of interest are clearly stated.
Simulation Centre Networking Project: SESAM invites all Simulation Centres throughout Europe, both large and small to present their center and the courses run for inclusion in a Simulation Centre Network. This is accessible to everyone via our website and SESAM believes this will provide:
- Better communication with Simulation enthusiasts.
- Information sharing between Simulation Centres.
- An updated list of Simulation Centres in Europe.
The SESAM accreditation program is based on the experience and expertise of the international multidisciplinary and inter-professional community of practice. This program takes into account the broad variety of simulation modalities and the context of their usage. The term Educational Institution (hereafter “Institution”) incorporates all facilities that provide educational sessions and exercise events for healthcare providers from all disciplines and professions.
These can be clinical simulation centers with dedicated space, mobile units that function completely ‘out-of-the-box’, mannequin-based facilities, or departments relying on standardized patient (SP) methodology. By seeking accreditation an institution can demonstrate its quality as having been judged and validated by an independent body that is, internationally recognized as, an opinion leader in the domain of simulation-based education in healthcare.
The use of the “Accredited by SESAM” logo is a quality marker that will allow the institution to stand out and further underline its high-quality standards. The documents are available for download below outline the principles and processes of the SESAM accreditation program. Please read all relevant documents on the SESAM website, as this will always have the most up-to-date versions here.
Please pay particular attention to the document “SESAM Accreditation of Simulation-Based Educational Institutions – Principles”, which will provide valuable insight and additional information, which will be helpful in filling out the accreditation questionnaire. To obtain the most up-to-date version of the questionnaire, please send an email requesting the document to accreditation@sesam-web.org.
