Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’

Background Over the past two decades, the use of Metaverse-enhanced simulations in medical education has witnessed significant advancement. These simulations offer immersive environments and technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence that have the potential...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vitaliy Popov, Natalie Mateju, Caris Jeske, Kadriye O. Lewis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Annals of Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2024.2424450
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846168778993303552
author Vitaliy Popov
Natalie Mateju
Caris Jeske
Kadriye O. Lewis
author_facet Vitaliy Popov
Natalie Mateju
Caris Jeske
Kadriye O. Lewis
author_sort Vitaliy Popov
collection DOAJ
description Background Over the past two decades, the use of Metaverse-enhanced simulations in medical education has witnessed significant advancement. These simulations offer immersive environments and technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence that have the potential to revolutionize medical training by providing realistic, hands-on experiences in diagnosing and treating patients, practicing surgical procedures, and enhancing clinical decision-making skills. This scoping review aimed to examine the evolution of simulation technology and the emergence of metaverse applications in medical professionals’ training, guided by Friedman’s three dimensions in medical education: physical space, time, and content, along with an additional dimension of assessment.Methods In this scoping review, we examined the related literature in six major databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. A total of 173 publications were selected for the final review and analysis. We thematically analyzed these studies by combining Friedman’s three-dimensional framework with assessment.Results Our scoping review showed that Metaverse technologies, such as virtual reality simulation and online learning modules have enabled medical education to extend beyond physical classrooms and clinical sites by facilitating remote training. In terms of the Time dimension, simulation technologies have made partial but meaningful progress in supplementing traditional time-dependent curricula, helping to shorten learning curves, and improve knowledge retention. As for the Content dimension, high-quality simulation and metaverse content require alignment with learning objectives, interactivity, and deliberate practice that should be developmentally integrated from basic to advanced skills. With respect to the Assessment dimension, learning analytics and automated metrics from metaverse-enabled simulation systems have enhanced competency evaluation and formative feedback mechanisms. However, their integration into high-stakes testing is limited, and qualitative feedback and human observation remain crucial.Conclusion Our study provides an updated perspective on the achievements and limitations of using simulation to transform medical education, offering insights that can inform development priorities and research directions for human-centered, ethical metaverse applications that enhance healthcare professional training.
format Article
id doaj-art-4c29dc7346fc464089846dc03da27af6
institution Kabale University
issn 0785-3890
1365-2060
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Annals of Medicine
spelling doaj-art-4c29dc7346fc464089846dc03da27af62024-11-13T12:20:39ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Medicine0785-38901365-20602024-12-0156110.1080/07853890.2024.2424450Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’Vitaliy Popov0Natalie Mateju1Caris Jeske2Kadriye O. Lewis3Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USADepartment of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USADepartment of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USAChildren’s Mercy Kansas City, Department of Pediatrics, UMKC School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USABackground Over the past two decades, the use of Metaverse-enhanced simulations in medical education has witnessed significant advancement. These simulations offer immersive environments and technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence that have the potential to revolutionize medical training by providing realistic, hands-on experiences in diagnosing and treating patients, practicing surgical procedures, and enhancing clinical decision-making skills. This scoping review aimed to examine the evolution of simulation technology and the emergence of metaverse applications in medical professionals’ training, guided by Friedman’s three dimensions in medical education: physical space, time, and content, along with an additional dimension of assessment.Methods In this scoping review, we examined the related literature in six major databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. A total of 173 publications were selected for the final review and analysis. We thematically analyzed these studies by combining Friedman’s three-dimensional framework with assessment.Results Our scoping review showed that Metaverse technologies, such as virtual reality simulation and online learning modules have enabled medical education to extend beyond physical classrooms and clinical sites by facilitating remote training. In terms of the Time dimension, simulation technologies have made partial but meaningful progress in supplementing traditional time-dependent curricula, helping to shorten learning curves, and improve knowledge retention. As for the Content dimension, high-quality simulation and metaverse content require alignment with learning objectives, interactivity, and deliberate practice that should be developmentally integrated from basic to advanced skills. With respect to the Assessment dimension, learning analytics and automated metrics from metaverse-enabled simulation systems have enhanced competency evaluation and formative feedback mechanisms. However, their integration into high-stakes testing is limited, and qualitative feedback and human observation remain crucial.Conclusion Our study provides an updated perspective on the achievements and limitations of using simulation to transform medical education, offering insights that can inform development priorities and research directions for human-centered, ethical metaverse applications that enhance healthcare professional training.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2024.2424450Medical educationclinical simulationmetaverseemerging technologieseXtended realityvirtual reality
spellingShingle Vitaliy Popov
Natalie Mateju
Caris Jeske
Kadriye O. Lewis
Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’
Annals of Medicine
Medical education
clinical simulation
metaverse
emerging technologies
eXtended reality
virtual reality
title Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’
title_full Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’
title_fullStr Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’
title_full_unstemmed Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’
title_short Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the ‘marvelous medical education machine’
title_sort metaverse based simulation a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the marvelous medical education machine
topic Medical education
clinical simulation
metaverse
emerging technologies
eXtended reality
virtual reality
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07853890.2024.2424450
work_keys_str_mv AT vitaliypopov metaversebasedsimulationascopingreviewofchartingmedicaleducationoverthelasttwodecadesinthelensofthemarvelousmedicaleducationmachine
AT nataliemateju metaversebasedsimulationascopingreviewofchartingmedicaleducationoverthelasttwodecadesinthelensofthemarvelousmedicaleducationmachine
AT carisjeske metaversebasedsimulationascopingreviewofchartingmedicaleducationoverthelasttwodecadesinthelensofthemarvelousmedicaleducationmachine
AT kadriyeolewis metaversebasedsimulationascopingreviewofchartingmedicaleducationoverthelasttwodecadesinthelensofthemarvelousmedicaleducationmachine