Greetings everyone! This month, I would like to focus on a new initiative within SSH that represents a massive advance in how we digest and synthesize new discoveries in our field: the International Liaison Council on Simulation (ILCOS).
From operations to facilitation to technology development, solid scholarship and research is the foundation of what we do and how we can know we are offering the best possible simulation experiences. How we engage with these new developments and discoveries matters to all of us. Over the past decades, though, the amount of research and innovation in simulation has massively expanded.
While this is amazing to think about, and a sign of how mature our field is becoming, it also makes it increasingly difficult for simulationists to keep up with the newest developments. In the past, SSH has addressed this by holding research summits; one-day events at IMSH intended to bring together the best of what has come before and chart a path forward for our community. But as the research base expands this episodic approach is no longer going to be enough to keep up.
This is where the ILCOS initiative comes in.
Instead of approaching this problem every few years, ILCOS will conduct living systematic reviews of the research, focusing on the most current questions in our field. This will give us the ability to offer up-to-date information on the state of simulation science on an ongoing basis that we can then use to develop programs, recommendations, and guidelines.
Importantly, while ILCOS will be based within SSH, it has been explicitly designed to be an inclusive, open research environment welcoming of all simulation organizations and perspectives. This is vital, as each of us has a different viewpoint with which we approach our work, all of which must be incorporated and respected for the initiative to succeed.
I am excited to see how ILCOS develops over the coming years and believe it will come to be seen as a watershed moment in how we do what we do. If this initiative interests you at all, I invite you to contact us and we will put you in touch with its leadership. I am looking forward to seeing what we can do together here for the good of our field, our learners, and the patients we serve.
Sincerely,
Aaron Calhoun, MD, FSSH
SSH President, 2026-27