Virtual Patient Simulations in Health Professions Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by the Digital...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Health
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• Virtual patients are interactive digital simulations of clinical scenarios.
• No comprehensive evidence currently exists on their educational effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual patients in health professions education.
• Comparisons included traditional education, blended learning, and other digital methods.
• Outcomes assessed were knowledge, skills, attitudes, and satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review following Cochrane methodology was conducted.
• Searched 7 databases from 1990 to September 2018, including randomized controlled trials.
• Data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and pooled analyses using random-effects models were performed.

Main Results:

• 51 trials with 4696 participants were included.
• Virtual patients showed similar knowledge improvement but superior skills improvement compared to traditional education.
• Evidence of effectiveness was found in both high-income and low- to middle-income countries.

Conclusions:

• Virtual patients offer a potentially effective tool for health professions education.
• They appear to enhance skills more than traditional methods and knowledge equally.
• Further research into design variants is recommended.