Current trends in simulation training in anesthesia: a review.

Anesthesiology as a specialty has made numerous prescient commitments to better patient care. Physicians entering residency are reaching the zenith of their educational odyssey and primarily acquire knowledge and skill through active involvement. Simulation training and associated assessment offers a chance for active involvement to the learner. The goal of the training is to accelerate skill acquisition, improve skill retention and reduce the extinction of skills. Simulation training programs have been shown to increase the skill of anesthesiologists. This increase in skill is expected to translate to evidence of improved patient care. Direct evidence that simulation directly improves patient care continues to be difficult to establish. In the future, the intuitive benefit of simulation as a means to improve the safety and quality of patient care is likely to become established by clinical research.