Global Statistics Representing Healthcare Simulation Market Scenario

Medical/healthcare simulation is a sophisticated approach to educate and train healthcare professionals using advanced educational technology. The term, according to the application, differs such as simulation in healthcare, patient simulation, nursing simulation, surgical simulation, and clinical simulation. Most of the simulation is carried out through anatomical models comprised of different devices that include patient simulators, interventional/surgical simulators, endovascular simulators, ultrasound simulators, and others. These simulators offer substantial benefits over the conventional learning process. The challenges in the conventional learning approach are addressed by advanced medical simulators. Anatomical models and training services are largely deployed in hospitals and clinics across the globe, as well as institutes and research centers, to exercise the complex scenarios of operation on a real-life patient by first practicing them on a human-like model with interchangeable organs.

Medical Manikins Guide Healthcare Practitioners for Real-Life Scenario

Growing demand for invasive treatment and rising adoption rates of healthcare simulation models, owing to its numerous benefits, is driving the market growth.  The emergence of simulators as a low-risk alternative for practicing life-saving procedures, interprofessional team training, and major disaster response, has increased their prevalence among practitioners in the last few years. The high cost of manikins to be deployed for testing and research purposes with a continuous requirement for updates and maintenance is a primary restraining factor. Also, the manikins may sometimes not depict the exact real-life scenarios which can be a drawback.  However, due to the advancements in 3D printing and other technologies, the development of tissues and bones and the creation of affordable homemade manikins and models have become easy.

Anatomic Model’s Life-Size Body with Replaceable Organs

An increase in the number of shocked patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and critical emergencies have urged the need for an expedite and precise treatment solution to avoid organ decline or patient’s death. As the new treatments cannot directly be tested on real patients, incorporating models that mimic human-like bodily functions has been the most common and preferred practice lately. This has led to significant growth in the adoption rate of anatomic models in recent years. Web-based simulation is an emerging area of investigation in the simulation industry that includes simulation software, performance recording software, and virtual tutors. Flourishing cloud technologies are foreseen to bring in abundant opportunities for server-side simulation approaches. Medical simulation software is extensively utilized by healthcare facilities to train professionals through the use of advanced educational technology. The progress in imaging technologies has enabled trainees and professionals to capture automated and accurate 2D/3D images using standard CT or MRI, eventually boosting the demand for simulation training practices in the healthcare industry. Simulation training is a rapidly growing segment in the healthcare simulation market as it involves the use of computer software to depict a real-world scenario.

Distribution Channel to Outpace Direct Channel

If the number of consumers is small, the manufacturer prefers selling simulation products directly to the customer. Direct sales are typically preferred for industrial purpose as it suits the consumer preferences. An increasing number of mergers and acquisitions, manufacturers following inorganic strategies, and the growing number of middlemen in the market are expected to significantly generate revenue for the distributor channel segment.

Extensive Deployment of Healthcare Simulators Across Academic Institutions

The academic institutes and centers segment is anticipated to dominate the market as new research and stroke centers are burgeoning across the globe due to demand for testing real-life scenarios before having to operate has drastically increased. The hospital and clinic segment is also expected to witness remarkable growth, owing to the rising adoption rate of simulation practices to train trainees and physicians before they operate on real-life scenarios. Simulation has been playing a crucial role in both civilian and military medicine since the past decade, serving beyond the purpose of education. Simulators are ideal in the military medical setting to maximize exposure and response to medical decision making.

North America’s Inclination Toward Simulation-Based Education

Various companies in the U.S. are exploring the potential applications of technology to develop and revamp the healthcare sector. Prominent vendors are actively incorporating computational modeling and simulation (CM&S) and analyzing different approaches to use it to facilitate safety and innovation in medical devices. Simulation-based education (SBE) is progressively becoming an integral aspect of post-graduation in Europe’s medical education. Moreover, it is aided by national policies and literature bodies due to which the adoption rate is gaining an impetus, especially in European countries, as the U.K. is pioneered in anesthetics and surgical training.

South America’s Limited Funding to Impede its Market Growth

South America is one of the highly populated and developing regions. Hence, the limited funding and healthcare expenditure, which was around 8.54% of total GDP in the year 2016 (according to the World Bank), impedes the regional medical simulation market growth. However, the region is indicating a gradual improvement in economic conditions, encouraging the development of simulation training centers.

China’s High Demand for Medical Simulator

Medical education has been increasingly relying on simulation technology for the past few years to aid the growth of practical learning knowledge that imparts controlled and safe practice opportunities. Even though Japan has slightly more numbers of advanced simulation centers, the demand for healthcare medical simulation is comparatively high in China, accounting for more numbers of adoption rates in hospitals/clinics and military organizations.

In the Middle East and Africa region, especially in GCC countries, a number of healthcare professionals are rising exponentially in light of the incorporation of the latest technologies in the medical sector and sufficient allocated funds from the government concerning the population’s health.

Recent Developments

• GE Healthcare developed a new computed tomography (CT) machine to take images that freeze the motion of the heart, which can be benefited for CM&S
• April 2018, the Medical University of Warsaw received a USD 26.6 million loan from European Investment Bank (EIB) for modernizing critical elements in their campus. The project consists of the design, construction, and implementation of a state-of-the-art new medical simulations center for training and research purposes
• December 2018, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, established the world’s largest simulation center for medical education and training. The center delivers practices for students in realistic medical scenarios and medical cases, encompassing more than 224 interactive medical dummies and virtual reality equipment to establish a reality-like environment between a patient and a doctor
• In March 2018, Costa Rica established its first mobile healthcare simulation training center with the Mobile Simulation Center-UCR. This mobile center is run by the School of Nursing of the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), providing the region with essential emergency health services
• In October 2019, the “VI Latin American Clinical Simulation Congress” was held in Cancun, Mexico. It aimed at bringing together and create a community from technical staff to researchers about simulation training

Key Players

Some of the prominent players in the market include CAE Inc., 3D Systems, Inc., Laerdal Medical, Gaumard Scientific Company, Kyoto Kagaku Co., Ltd., Limbs & Things LTD, Mentice, Simulab Corporation, Simulaids, and MedaPhor (Intelligent Ultrasound)

Strategic Approach

Most of the emerging companies are striving to develop advanced simulation technologies to improve performance in the clinical environment, improve health literacy, simulation of health care, and patient safety with the help of realistic training aids. The key vendors aim at training medical simulators and task trainers for the medical education community. They are also targeting at reducing medical errors with cost-effective project trainers and creating a group of professionals who are dedicated to the medical simulation process.

Medical Simulation Market Segmentation

By Product Type

• Anatomical Models
• Web-Based Simulation
• Medical Simulation Software
• Simulation Training Services

By Sales Channel

• Direct Channel
• Distribution Channel

By End Users

• Academic Institutes and Centers
• Hospitals and Clinics
• Military Organizations

By Region

North America

• U.S.
• Canada
• Mexico

Europe

• U.K.
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Australia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific

LATAM

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Columbia
• Rest of LATAM

Middle East

• Saudi Arabia
• Oman
• Qatar
• Bahrain
• UAE
• Rest of Middle East

Africa

• Nigeria
• Tanzania
• South Africa
• Ghana
• Rest of Africa