Use of Digital Technology for Developing Communication Skills in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education:...

Effective doctor-patient communication is fundamental to safe, high-quality health care and is a core competency across undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Communication skills training (CST) has traditionally relied on workforce-intensive methods such as role-play and standardized patient encounters, which face increasing pressure from rising student numbers, constrained faculty capacity, and growing clinical workloads. Digital technologies offer scalable, flexible alternatives, yet the extent, educational design, and strength of evidence supporting digital CST remain unclear.

This study aimed to comprehensively map the digital technologies used for CST in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, examine the reported outcomes in the context of educational theory, and identify gaps relevant for future research and clinical practice.

This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and is reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Four electronic databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC) were searched from inception to January 5, 2026. Eligible studies examined any digital technology used to support active, 2-way CST for undergraduate or postgraduate medical learners. Passive learning approaches were excluded. Data were synthesized descriptively. To support structured interpretation of heterogeneous outcomes, interventions were mapped to Kolb's experiential learning cycle to examine learning processes and to Kirkpatrick's evaluation model to assess depth of educational and translational impact.

A total of 11,179 records were identified, of which 121 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were published within the past decade (92/121, 76%) and were conducted in North America and Europe (93/121, 76.9%), with 58.7% (71/121) of studies focusing on undergraduate learners. Recording-based tools (51/121, 41.8%), live stream platforms (33/121, 27%), and virtual patient simulators (32/121, 26.2%) were the most used digital technologies. General communication and history taking was the most frequent topic taught. Only 28.1% (34/121) of studies used validated objective outcome measures. Educationally, digital interventions overwhelmingly supported early stages of experiential learning (120/121, 99.2%), with almost no progression to abstract conceptualization or active experimentation. Outcome evaluation was similarly limited in depth; most studies assessed outcomes at Kirkpatrick Levels 1 and 2. Few studies evaluated behavior change in clinical practice (6/121, 5%) or patient-level outcomes (1/121, 0.8%). A small but growing subset of studies incorporated artificial intelligence, primarily within virtual patient simulators, showing promising but methodologically limited evidence.

Although digital CST interventions show promise for supporting early-stage learning outcomes, the evidence is constrained by weak study designs, inconsistent use of validated measures, and minimal real-world evaluation. Current technologies support only initial phases of experiential learning, with no evidence of progression to competency development or translation into improved patient care. For educators investing in digital CST, these technologies should be integrated thoughtfully within broader curricula rather than treated as standalone solutions, accompanied by evaluation extending to clinical outcomes. Future research that prioritizes robust comparative designs evaluating whether digital training meaningfully improves clinical communication and patient care is warranted.