Global scientific production on gamification in medical education: A bibliometric exploration

Gamification has emerged as an innovative strategy in medical education, incorporating game dynamics that enhance motivation, active learning, and clinical skills development. Despite its growing adoption, a comprehensive global bibliometric analysis characterizing its development and trends is still lacking.

A descriptive bibliometric study was conducted using the Scopus database to identify articles on gamification in medical education published between 2019 and 2024. A total of 293 original articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Productivity, visibility, and impact indicators were analyzed using SciVal and VOSviewer tools.

Teresa Chan (Canada) was identified as the most productive author, while Tobias Raupach had the highest average citations per article. McMaster University and Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris were the most productive institutions. BMC Medical Education published the highest number of articles, whereas JMIR Serious Games showed the greatest impact per publication. Five thematic clusters were identified in the co-occurrence network, with "gamification" and "medical education" as central terms. The United States led in publication volume and international collaborations, particularly with Canada, Germany, and India.

Scientific production on gamification in medical education demonstrates a growing trend, with consolidated collaboration networks and publications in high-impact journals. However, opportunities remain to expand its implementation in real clinical settings and specialized training. Bibliometric analysis enables the identification of knowledge gaps and can guide future research toward underexplored areas, enhancing the effective integration of gamification into global medical education.