Frequently Asked Questions — SimEPR

Developed by Dr Arron Thind in response to his own experiences going from paper-based training to digital practice, SimEPR gives learners hands-on experience with the kind of digital documentation, prescribing, observation charts, and investigation results they'll use day-to-day.

This modality gap means that even clinically confident graduates can struggle when they first encounter a live EPR system under pressure. SimEPR bridges that gap by giving learners a safe, realistic environment to build digital fluency before they step onto the ward.

Research consistently shows that digital readiness reduces errors in clinical practice, and simulation is the ideal setting to build that confidence.

It supports both educators, who build and run simulations, and students who interact with patient records as part of their training. It is suitable for a wide range of clinical disciplines and works equally well in university settings and the NHS, whose 10 Year Plan envisions trusts completely digitised with technologically confident staff.

SimEPR directly supports that agenda by ensuring that graduates arrive in clinical roles familiar with the digital workflows they will encounter.

Students can write clinical notes and proformas, document and review patient observations including fluid balance charts, prescribe medications electronically, request investigations and referrals, and review blood gas, laboratory, and radiology results — including actual imaging.

All of this happens within a realistic patient record interface, so the experience closely mirrors what students will encounter in clinical practice. Faculty can pre-load scenarios, push live results during simulations, and monitor trainee activity in real time.

SimEPR is the core platform — the electronic patient record system used across all simulation modes.

SimWard is designed for collaborative, ward-based group simulations. Teams of students work together on the care of up to 15 patients, either in a physical simulation suite or as a tabletop exercise. No student-specific logins are required, and faculty can monitor activity and push results in real time.

SimClass is built for independent, asynchronous learning. Up to 250 students can simultaneously complete their own objective-based clinical cases — either in a classroom or remotely at home. Students cannot see each other's activity, and faculty can review and mark submissions afterwards via the controller.

Together, the three platforms cover the full spectrum of simulation-based learning: individual patient sims, collaborative ward rounds, and scalable independent study.

Simulated Practice Learning placements are an increasingly important part of healthcare education — and in many cases, they attract NHS tariff funding. The SimEPR platform structure supports this model and is already in active use at institutions including Buckinghamshire New University as part of their SPL delivery.

An SPL placement is a structured, simulation-based learning experience designed to replicate the outcomes of a real clinical placement. To count as SPL, the activity must be supervised, contextualised to real clinical practice, and explicitly designed to meet practice learning standards. Only hours that genuinely qualify as SPL can count toward a student's required practice learning hours — and therefore toward tariff funding eligibility.

SimEPR provides a digital, auditable record of student interactions with the patient record — documentation, prescribing decisions, investigation requests, observation entries — all logged automatically. This creates a transparent evidence base that demonstrates the value and volume of SPL programmes to funding bodies and regulators.

The Editor Mode allows faculty to build scenarios efficiently, with automatic generation of observations and investigation results. Student activity is logged digitally throughout, making debriefs more focused and substantive.

The platform supports consistent delivery across cohorts, disciplines, and sites — meaning a scenario built once can be run repeatedly without additional preparation.

Faculty retain full visibility of activity during the session through the controller, but no personally identifiable student data needs to be collected or retained by the platform.

SimWard and SimClass operate with a similar architecture — activity is reset at the end of each session and student data is wiped, with the option to download a PDF record beforehand if faculty need a record of individual performance. This means institutions can run large-scale, assessed simulation sessions without generating ongoing data storage obligations.

For institutions navigating data governance requirements — particularly those working with information governance teams or operating under NHS data frameworks — this approach significantly simplifies compliance.

Whether you are a hospital simulation department running single-patient scenarios, a university looking to deliver ward-based and independent learning, or an institution integrating SimEPR across multiple disciplines, there is a package built around your needs.

The tiers differ in terms of the number of faculty logins, scenario storage, and the number of concurrent simulation sessions you can run. To find out which package is the right fit and get a full breakdown of what is included at each level, get in touch with our team.

Because SimEPR is web-based and requires no installation, setup is straightforward. Onboarding involves configuring faculty accounts, getting your team familiar with the Editor Mode for building scenarios, and tailoring the platform to your programme's needs.

Sim & Skills provide guidance, information, and ongoing support throughout installation, use, queries and renewal.

As the platform replicates the kind of EPR environment found across clinical settings, the learning is relevant regardless of the student's specific professional pathway.

The University of the West of England uses SimEPR within its radiography education programme and has reported cost savings and reduced staffing requirements alongside a simulation experience that remains engaging and interactive. Buckinghamshire New University has used it for interprofessional trauma simulation spanning multiple disciplines simultaneously.