Human error is the leading cause of death in the medical field. According to data from World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2012, in Europe 95,000 deaths occur every year attributed to this cause. As well as the risk for people, these errors also represent a significant economic cost for the Administration, and in the case of Catalonia, this cost reaches over €128 million.

 

The 4D Health Innovation Simulation Centre, inaugurated by President Mas in Igualada (Anoia) on March 17^th, aims to prevent errors in medical care and increase patient security through the training of professionals in a virtual environment. The centre opens its doors after five years of preparations and one year of trial investigations.

During its inauguration, the President of Catalonia, Artur Mas qualified the centre as a project of “high strategic content and value”, stating that “this is not just a centre for Igualada or Anoia, this is a centre in Igualada for Catalonia, for the Spanish State, for Europe and beyond”.

 

Despite the existence of other simulation centres around the world, the 4D Health is the first complete hospital that encompasses the full complexity of the medical world in a virtual environment, as it occupies the installations of the old Igualada hospital and provides global facilities for doctors to receive training.

 

The 4D Health Simulation Centre forms part of the Health Simulation Network of the Ministry of Health and is included in the National Plan for Research and Innovation of the Catalan Government’s Ministry for Business and Labour. Furthermore, the Centre will receive support from the Igualada City Council, the Council of Barcelona as well the Academy of Medical Sciences and Health of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.