Distance simulation of technical skills achieves skill outcomes comparable to traditional on-site training in most comparative studies¶

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? Among 32 comparative studies with skills assessment as primary outcome, distance simulation had comparable effectiveness to traditional on-site training in 29 studies (91%). → Wei W 2026

Evidence¶

Wei W 2026¶

Wei W, Nielsen MS, Nielsen AB, Han Y, Russell L, Konge L, Cold KM. (2026). Hands-on Distance Simulation of Technical Skills: A Systematic Review. Simulation in Healthcare. https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0000000000000881

q3 · i? · review · r3

Systematic review following PRISMA of 104 studies; 38 comparative studies (29 RCTs, 9 non-RCTs) compared distance simulation with on-site training. The review reports "distance simulation had comparable effectiveness in 29 studies (91%)" for skill outcomes.

"Skills assessment was the primary outcome in the remaining 32 studies (Kirkpatrick level 2). Among those studies, distance simulation had comparable effectiveness in 29 studies (91%)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Three comparative studies reported superior outcomes for distance simulation over traditional training, involving augmented reality telementoring, remote robotic teaching, and a virtual classroom — related
• For lower-stakes basic skills, AR shows noninferiority rather than superiority over traditional instruction — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• No significant differences between VR-based and conventional training in operational understanding, technical skills, or system usability — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Several included studies found haptic VR training equivalent rather than superior to conventional dental training — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Remote teaching achieves competency outcomes equivalent to traditional learning for basic surgical skills in most studies — a narrower finding that bears on this claim