If it doesn't fit it risks failing. What CPR manikins can teach us about healthcare design
Tracks
Room 1
| Tuesday, December 1, 2026 |
| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
| Plenary Room - Grand Central |
Overview
Dr Rebecca Szabo
Speaker
Dr Rebecca Szabo
Lead of Gandel Simulation Service
Gandel Simulation Service - Royal Women’s Hospital
If it doesn't fit it risks failing. What CPR manikins can teach us about healthcare design
Abstract
Healthcare training is often built on the idea of a “standard” patient—but what happens when that standard doesn’t reflect reality? Using CPR manikins as a case study, this keynote examines how gaps in design can shape learning, behaviour, and ultimately care and outcomes. It offers practical ways to ensure training better fits the diversity of those we serve.
Biography
Dr Rebecca Szabo is an obstetrician/gynaecologist, medical educator and simulation leader based in Melbourne.
She is Lead of the Gandel Simulation Service at the Royal Women’s Hospital which uses simulation as a tool for patient safety and systems improvement (translational simulation). She is an Honorary Senior Lecturer and PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, where her research focuses on embedding and sustaining simulation for quality improvement and patient safety in hospitals.
Rebecca is passionate about how healthcare training and systems are designed, and the consequences this has for safety, performance, and equity. Her publication examining CPR manikins as a gender and human rights issue highlights the importance of designing systems and training that better fit the diverse populations they serve. She brings a practical lens, asking a simple question: if it doesn’t fit, can it work?