Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century

Abstract Background Medical simulation is a global trend that improves disease interpretation, diagnostic skills, and clinical abilities, transforming them into skills for the practitioner. Simulator classes should be part of continuing medical education, generating advances that make it necessary f...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Carlos Enrique Mawyin-Muñoz, Francisco Javier Salmerón-Escobar, Javier Aquiles Hidalgo-Acosta, Maria Fernanda Calderon-León
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07610-z
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849764724828274688
author Carlos Enrique Mawyin-Muñoz
Francisco Javier Salmerón-Escobar
Javier Aquiles Hidalgo-Acosta
Maria Fernanda Calderon-León
author_facet Carlos Enrique Mawyin-Muñoz
Francisco Javier Salmerón-Escobar
Javier Aquiles Hidalgo-Acosta
Maria Fernanda Calderon-León
author_sort Carlos Enrique Mawyin-Muñoz
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Medical simulation is a global trend that improves disease interpretation, diagnostic skills, and clinical abilities, transforming them into skills for the practitioner. Simulator classes should be part of continuing medical education, generating advances that make it necessary for technical development and specialization in complex, complicated, or difficult-to-reproduce scenarios that students may face, based on clinical problems with negative feedback, allowing for learning from mistakes. The objective of the review is to identify the usefulness of simulation in teaching the new medicine. Methods Using the PRISMA 2020 declaration, articles published in the last 5 years on simulation teaching in neurology were reviewed. These articles were sourced from databases such as PubMed, Mendeley, Wiley, Web of Science, Cochrane, Latindex, and Google Scholar. In the summary of results, only those studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for analysis. Results Twenty-six randomized clinical trials on medical education and training were selected. The analysis showed that simulation improved skill scores to support simulation-based medical diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion Simulation-based education has demonstrated statistical benefits in learning, skill acquisition, feedback, and stress reduction, particularly in the specialties of ophthalmology, emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, neuroanatomy, and neuropathology, providing great relevance to the present review. No study reported beneficial effects or effects on mortality: despite improved surgical skill times among participants, no statistically significant data were found on a reduction in operative complications. Simulation technologies such as artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and robotics are under development, the impact of which on improving the quality of care is still unknown. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
format Article
id doaj-art-97e9cd0f71fd430ebf9976c8d266a9ed
institution DOAJ
issn 1472-6920
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Medical Education
spelling doaj-art-97e9cd0f71fd430ebf9976c8d266a9ed2025-08-20T03:05:04ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-07-0125111210.1186/s12909-025-07610-zMedical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st centuryCarlos Enrique Mawyin-Muñoz0Francisco Javier Salmerón-Escobar1Javier Aquiles Hidalgo-Acosta2Maria Fernanda Calderon-León3University of GranadaUniversity of GranadaEspíritu Santo University UEESCatholic University of Santiago of GuayaquilAbstract Background Medical simulation is a global trend that improves disease interpretation, diagnostic skills, and clinical abilities, transforming them into skills for the practitioner. Simulator classes should be part of continuing medical education, generating advances that make it necessary for technical development and specialization in complex, complicated, or difficult-to-reproduce scenarios that students may face, based on clinical problems with negative feedback, allowing for learning from mistakes. The objective of the review is to identify the usefulness of simulation in teaching the new medicine. Methods Using the PRISMA 2020 declaration, articles published in the last 5 years on simulation teaching in neurology were reviewed. These articles were sourced from databases such as PubMed, Mendeley, Wiley, Web of Science, Cochrane, Latindex, and Google Scholar. In the summary of results, only those studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for analysis. Results Twenty-six randomized clinical trials on medical education and training were selected. The analysis showed that simulation improved skill scores to support simulation-based medical diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion Simulation-based education has demonstrated statistical benefits in learning, skill acquisition, feedback, and stress reduction, particularly in the specialties of ophthalmology, emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, neuroanatomy, and neuropathology, providing great relevance to the present review. No study reported beneficial effects or effects on mortality: despite improved surgical skill times among participants, no statistically significant data were found on a reduction in operative complications. Simulation technologies such as artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and robotics are under development, the impact of which on improving the quality of care is still unknown. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07610-zPatient simulationSimulation trainingNeurological examinationTeaching hospitalsNeurological findings
spellingShingle Carlos Enrique Mawyin-Muñoz
Francisco Javier Salmerón-Escobar
Javier Aquiles Hidalgo-Acosta
Maria Fernanda Calderon-León
Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century
BMC Medical Education
Patient simulation
Simulation training
Neurological examination
Teaching hospitals
Neurological findings
title Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century
title_full Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century
title_fullStr Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century
title_full_unstemmed Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century
title_short Medical simulation: an essential tool for training, diagnosis, and treatment in the 21st century
title_sort medical simulation an essential tool for training diagnosis and treatment in the 21st century
topic Patient simulation
Simulation training
Neurological examination
Teaching hospitals
Neurological findings
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07610-z
work_keys_str_mv AT carlosenriquemawyinmunoz medicalsimulationanessentialtoolfortrainingdiagnosisandtreatmentinthe21stcentury
AT franciscojaviersalmeronescobar medicalsimulationanessentialtoolfortrainingdiagnosisandtreatmentinthe21stcentury
AT javieraquileshidalgoacosta medicalsimulationanessentialtoolfortrainingdiagnosisandtreatmentinthe21stcentury
AT mariafernandacalderonleon medicalsimulationanessentialtoolfortrainingdiagnosisandtreatmentinthe21stcentury