Manikins show anatomical discrepancies against human imaging data, yet may still support effective skill acquisition, suggesting educational fidelity can matter more than anatomical replication¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Repeated anatomical discrepancies between manikins and human imaging challenge assumed educational realism, but simulators lacking anatomical realism may still support effective skill acquisition. → McCarthy Roisin 2026

Evidence¶

McCarthy Roisin 2026¶

McCarthy Roisin, Maher Liam, O'Dea Angela. (2026). Validation status of definitive airway management simulators: a systematic review. BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2026.01.027

q3 · i? · review · r3

Review discussion of concurrent-validity studies comparing manikin airway anatomy with human CT scans (Schalk 2015; Blackburn 2021; Schebesta 2012) alongside a later study reporting acceptable functional performance comparable with real patients (Schebesta 2015).

"This highlights an important conceptual issue: simulators that lack anatomical realism may still support effective skill acquisition."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• High-fidelity manikins and virtual reality were the most common paediatric SBE modalities across the reviewed studies — related
• The review reports that high-fidelity simulation outperformed case-based discussion for clinical reasoning and leadership in paediatric emergencies — related
• Across the reviewed studies, simulation-based interventions consistently improved paediatric undergraduate learning outcomes, including clinical reasoning, procedural skills and confidence — related
• Training fidelity: low-fidelity manikins performed comparably to high-fidelity manikins for epidural skill acquisition — related