Lack of Diversity in Simulation Technology: An Educational Limitation?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Healthcare Simulation Diversity

Background:

• Growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion in medicine and healthcare.
• Simulation technology is crucial for medical training and patient care scenarios.
• Existing simulation tools show a lack of diversity concerning patient representation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diversity of medical simulation technology available in 2018.
• To identify limitations in representing diverse patient populations in current simulations.
• To propose strategies for enhancing diversity within medical simulation.

Main Methods:

• A nonsystematic review of simulation technology.
• Analysis focused on representation of skin tone, age, and sex in 2018 offerings.
• Qualitative assessment of diversity inclusivity in simulation tools.

Main Results:

• Limited diversity was found in skin tone, age, and sex representation in 2018 simulation technology.
• This heterogeneity restricts educators' ability to simulate the full spectrum of patient diversity.
• Identified gaps in simulation offerings hinder realistic training for varied medical encounters.

Conclusions:

• Current medical simulation technology is not adequately diverse.
• This lack of diversity poses challenges for training healthcare professionals to care for all patients.
• Implementing strategies to incorporate diversity is essential for effective medical simulation and education.