Digital Education for Health Professionals: An Evidence Map, Conceptual Framework, and Research Agenda

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Digital Health
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Digital technologies are transforming health professions education globally.
• There's a need to systematically map existing research and identify future priorities in this evolving field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the evidence base for digital health professions education.
• To identify research gaps and priorities for robust future studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of reviews on digital education for healthcare professionals (Jan 2014-July 2020).
• Data extraction and synthesis by two independent authors.
• Mapping findings against a newly developed conceptual framework.

Main Results:

• 77 systematic reviews were included, focusing on various digital modalities like virtual reality and online education.
• Most reviews concentrated on general health professions education, surgery, and nursing, assessing skills and knowledge.
• A conceptual framework with 6 domains was developed, and 61 research questions were identified, primarily in education and context domains.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive research agenda for digital health professions education has been identified.
• The developed conceptual framework can guide future research and development in this area.
• Increased research from low- and middle-income countries is crucial.