The evolution of simulation-based medical education research: From traditional to virtual simulations
Weiming Sun,
Xing Jiang,
Xiangli Dong,
Guohua Yu,
Zhen Feng,
Lang Shuai
Affiliations
Weiming Sun
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Clinical Medical College, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Corresponding author. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
Xing Jiang
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Clinical Medical College, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Xiangli Dong
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China
Guohua Yu
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Clinical Medical College, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Zhen Feng
Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Clinical Medical College, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Lang Shuai
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; The First Clinical Medical College, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China; Corresponding author. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
Background: Simulation-based medical education (SBME) is a widely used method in medical education. This study aims to analyze publications on SBME in terms of countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keyword co-occurrence, as well as to identify trends in SBME research. Methods: We retrieved the Publications on SBME from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from its inception to January 27, 2024. Microsoft Excel 2019, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer were used to identify the distribution of countries, journals, and authors, as well as to determine the research hotspots. Results: We retrieved a total of 11272 publications from WoSCC. The number of documents published in 2022 was the highest in the last few decades. The USA, the UK, and Canada were three key contributors to this field. The University of Toronto, Stanford University, and Harvard Medical School were the top major institutions with a larger number of publications. Konge, Lars was the most productive author, while McGaghie, William C was the highest cited author. BMC Medical Education has the highest number of publications among journals. The foundational themes of SBME are “Patient simulation,” “extending reality,” and “surgical skills.” Conclusions: SBME has attracted considerable attention in medical education. The research hotspot is gradually shifting from traditional simulations with real people or mannequins to virtual, digitally-based simulations and online education. Further studies will be conducted to elucidate the mechanisms of SBME. The utilization of SBME will be more rationalized.
