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Washington, D.C., Feb 17, 2009 - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus, announced today that he has reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Patrick Kennedy (RI-01) to increase the use of medical modeling and simulation (M&S) across the United States.  The Enhancing SIMULATION (Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now) Act of 2009, H.R. 855, would improve the quality of health care in the United States by reducing medical error and cutting health care costs. 

“Today we stand at a critical juncture in health care as we face significantly increasing health care costs. The use of medical modeling and simulation provides doctors the ability to practice new and sophisticated techniques, with considerable cost benefits to patients and to our nation as a whole,” said Forbes. “The Enhancing SIMULATION Act helps to bring our health care industry into the 21st century through the use of technology, and creates the potential to increase doctor skill and proficiency, save money, and most importantly, save lives.”

Medical simulation technology – a relatively new field - provides training and feedback in which the learner practices tasks and processes in life-like scenarios using models or virtual reality.  Hospitals that have already been funded under a U.S. Department of Defense medical simulation trial program saw their clinical error rate decrease from 30 percent to almost four percent, which, when applied across the United States, could reduce medical error costs by up to $17 billion. 

The Enhancing SIMULATION Act would provide measurable benefits to patients by improving patient safety, consumers and taxpayers by lowering costs, communities by the creation of more high-tech jobs, and physicians and insurers by lowering malpractice rates and claims. Specifically the bill would:

• Create medical modeling and simulation Centers of Excellence across America to provide leadership and research into advancing the field;
• Establish medical M&S grants for academic and professional organizations;
• Promote innovation in medical M&S within the Department of Health & Human Services; and,
• Establish a coordinating council for federal government collaboration on medical M&S efforts.

The Enhancing SIMULATION Act was originally introduced by Congressman Forbes and Congressman Kennedy in the 110^th Congress as H.R. 4321. It has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce where it awaits further action. For more information on the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus, visit http://forbes.house.gov/biography/mscaucus.htm.