Learning with the Use of Surgical and Virtual Simulators in Health Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Simulation in health education offers an interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for medical environments. Simulation provides effective immersion in clinical scenarios and enhances skills before contact with real patients. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the importance of using simulation methods in health for students seeking to learn and improve the techniques used in their future areas of practice. This is a systematic review of the literature, carried out through searches in the Sciencedirect, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. The inclusion criteria considered were works published in the last 03 years in English and Portuguese, the use of surgical simulators in health teaching practice and works that evaluated the performance of students who used the simulators. Medical simulation and innovative technologies are being widely adopted in medical and surgical training. The use of video games, laparoscopic simulators, virtual and extended reality, 3D models and 3D printing are effective tools for developing students' skills and knowledge, providing experiences in environments optimized by technology. Telesimulation facilitates remote health education, promoting interaction and professional development. Simulation in health education is an active and innovative teaching method that presents efficient models of physical or virtual training that significantly contribute to student learning and prepare health professionals to deal with real-life challenges more safely and effectively.