Table 1 Characteristics of included studies (n = 124)
From: Distance simulation in the health professions: a scoping review
Simulation content | |
 Acute care/team training | 36.3% (45 studies) |
 Procedural/surgical skills training | 28.2% (35 studies) |
 Outpatient medicine/community training | 17.7% (22 studies) |
 Communication/history taking | 8.1% (10 studies) |
 Disaster preparedness | 4.8% (6 studies) |
 Not reported | 4.8% (6 studies) |
Simulator types | |
 Patient simulators | 25.8% (32 studies) |
 Technology-enhanced (e.g., extended reality, virtual worlds) | 25.8% (32 studies) |
 Patient actors | 20.2% (25 studies) |
 Task trainers | 18.5% (23 studies) |
 Computer/web applications | 8.1% (10 studies) |
 Not reported | 1.6% (2 studies) |
Study design | |
 Observational | 52.4% (65 studies) |
 Randomizeda | 10.5% (13 studies) |
 Non-randomized experimental | 20.2% (25 studies) |
 Concept papers | 5.6% (7 studies) |
 Case studies | 5.6% (7 studies) |
 Qualitative | 4.0% (5 studies) |
 Technical reports | 1.6% (2 studies) |
Technology used | |
 Web-conferencing (Skype, Zoom, etc.) | 38.7% (48 studies) |
 Telehealth technology | 29.8% (37 studies) |
 Virtual worlds (Second Life, etc.) | 15.3% (19 studies) |
 Custom systems | 12.9% (16 studies) |
 Not adequately described | 3.3% (4 studies) |