Tips to choose a training medical model (phantom) for medical education

1.    Procedure Simulation: The trainees should be able to experience the same type of exposure during their practice. with the simulator 

 Let’s describe this in an example: In central line insertion, you should be able to find your vein and get blood return when you reach the lumen of the vein. More importantly, you should feel similar resistance when you advance the needle, dilator or guidewire through the manikin. Any deviation from a real patient experience might be harmful in patient care.

 As a general rule “Avoid softer than usual phantoms”, since they surprise the trainees when they are exposed to real practice.

2.    Image quality

 Training phantom images should be similar to the real in vivo images.

3.    Durability

  High degree of self-healing and minimal tissue break down

4.    Procedural requirements in your institution

 Try to save money by buying multi-task phantoms to decrease the price. In case you want to do kidney/Liver/lung biopsy, lumbar puncture, spinal anesthesia, echo, thoracentesis and paracentesis, order a combined chest-abdomen CT that permits the whole package.