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Background Virtual simulation (VS) has emerged as an important educational tool in healthcare by providing interactive and standardised learning environments. While its use in undergraduate education is well established, its application within postgraduate healthcare training, including emergency medicine, remains less clearly characterised. This scoping review aimed to map existing evidence on VS models in postgraduate healthcare education, particularly within emergency medicine, and identify associated challenges and research gaps. Methods Guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across seven databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, ERIC, Web of Science, and the International Journal of Healthcare Simulation. Studies published between 2014 and 2024 were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were charted and synthesised thematically, supported by descriptive analysis of VS modalities, study designs, and application contexts. Results Forty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 14 (34.1%) focused on emergency medicine training. VS modalities included virtual patients, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, serious games, and web-based simulations. VS primarily supported clinical reasoning and decision-making through linear simulation designs, with fewer branched or data-informed approaches. Identified gaps included limited postgraduate focus, variable realism and immersive fidelity, and minimal integration of real-world clinical data. Common challenges related to technical limitations, usability, and lack of real-time feedback. Conclusion VS is increasingly used within postgraduate healthcare education to support clinical reasoning and decision-making through interactive learning environments. Emerging data-informed and adaptive approaches may further enhance VS through personalised feedback, adaptive scenario progression, and learner-responsive training.
Almarhabi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.