Redefining Gender Representation in Simulation Training
Women make up around half of the world’s population, yet it’s reported that the majority of all training manikins are “flat-chested” or representative of a lean, male anatomy.
Women make up around half of the world’s population, yet it’s reported that the majority of all training manikins are “flat-chested” or representative of a lean, male anatomy.
A recent study published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders has shed more light on a troubling reality in emergency medicine: although the risk of a cardiac event is similar in both genders, women experiencing cardiac arrest are significantly less likely to receive bystander CPR.
The hesitation that participants expressed, including those that were medical students, is due to lack of confidence and practical experience with diverse anatomical presentations.
Many healthcare professionals in educational roles, have highlighted that there’s a significant lack of female training manikins in the market, making it harder to develop those skills before healthcare trainees encounter real patients.
Limbs & Things continues to be committed to improving patient outcomes and has developed a Female Breast Overlay to address the under-representation of gender within simulation. Fitted with adjustable straps, the overlay can be attached to existing simulation manikins, allowing educators and trainees to incorporate the treatment of women in their medical training, addressing societal and gender biases that are present in some existing training programs.
The challenge of gender under-representation in simulation extends beyond CPR, into wider clinical settings where healthcare students, residents, and professionals must perform many examinations and procedural skills, requiring confidence and competence regardless of patient gender.
The Female Breast Overlay has been developed to represent the chest of a 50+ year old woman, with adjustable straps to allow versatile use across a broad range of existing simulation manikins of different types, function and sizes.
With the addition of removable, adjustable breasts, educators can broaden the scope of medical simulation training, including:
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Increased training realism for health screenings, examinations and emergency response
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Boost patient handling skills with training scenarios that include a range of anatomical presentations
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Strengthen staff preparedness for gender inclusive care scenarios
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Support more accurate practice of procedures such as palpation, positioning, and fitting of medical devices
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Double simulation capabilities without purchasing additional full-body or torso manikins
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Open discussion regarding adapting to different patient anatomy
The introduction of the Female Breast Overlay is a key step in our mission to improve patient outcomes worldwide, for patients of all genders. Find out more about how you can add gender diversity to your simulation training here.
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