Effectiveness of Virtual Simulations in Medical and Nursing Education
Author Information
Author(s): Mavragani Amaryllis, Zhang Jinhua, Abdildin Yerkin G, Jiang Nan MD, Zhang Yuelun PhD, Liang Siyu MD, Lyu Xiaohong MD, Chen Shi MD, Huang Xiaoming MD, Pan Hui MD
Primary Institution: Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Hypothesis
This study aims to compare virtual simulations and mannequins or real persons in improving clinical competencies.
Conclusion
Virtual simulations are viable alternatives to traditional face-to-face learning modalities, showing no significant differences in effectiveness for various clinical competencies.
Supporting Evidence
- 27 studies were included in the analysis.
- Overall, no significant differences were found between virtual simulations and traditional methods.
- Subgroup analyses indicated that virtual simulations were less effective among nursing participants for procedural skills.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well virtual simulations work for teaching medical and nursing skills compared to using mannequins or real people, and found they work just as well.
Methodology
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted, comparing the effectiveness of virtual simulations to mannequins and real persons in medical and nursing education.
Potential Biases
Some studies had unclear risk of bias due to lack of blinding and methodological differences.
Limitations
The risk of bias in some studies due to lack of blinding and the heterogeneity of included studies.
Participant Demographics
Participants included medical and nursing students, with a mix of undergraduate and graduate levels.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI –0.30 to 0.47
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website