In the few trials comparing them, virtual patients showed no significant knowledge differences versus other digital education, and skills differences in only one of three studies¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesisr3·q3
Currency · newest study 2019 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? Comparisons of virtual patients with other digital education (video-recorded lecture, static Web course, electronic module, video recordings) showed no significant differences in knowledge outcomes, and skills comparisons were mostly non-significant. → Kononowicz A A 2019
Evidence¶
Kononowicz A A 2019¶
Kononowicz A A, Woodham L A, Edelbring S, Stathakarou N, Davies D, Saxena N, Tudor Car L, Carlstedt-Duke J, Car J, Zary N. (2019). Virtual Patient Simulations in Health Professions Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by the Digital Health Education Collaboration. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/14676
q3 · i? · quant-synthesis · r3
Narrative synthesis of the few trials comparing virtual patients with other digital education. Neither the video-lecture nor the static-Web-course comparison "showed significant differences in knowledge outcomes"; of three skills comparisons, only Kumta et al showed a significant difference (P<.001), favouring virtual patients over traditional teaching supplemented by Web content; the other two were non-significant.
"Courteille et al [87] compared virtual patients with a video-recorded lecture, whereas Trudeau et al [90] compared with a static Web course. Neither of these comparisons showed significant differences in knowledge outcomes."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Live simulations with real patients showed the greatest effects among simulation types (g = 2.27, medical education only) — related
- Virtual patient design-variant comparisons rarely show significant differences, with feedback and scaffolding exceptions — related
- Virtual patients show larger advantages over passive traditional learning (lectures, reading) than over active learning — related
- Virtual patient blended learning shows a moderate but non-significant pooled skills effect versus traditional education alone (SMD=0.60, CI crossing zero) — related
- Video review enhances practical skill performance in both modalities and eliminates the hands-on versus virtual simulation difference — related
- Video review raises learning interest under virtual simulation but not under hands-on activity — related
- Virtual patients blended with traditional education improve knowledge more than traditional education alone (pooled SMD=0.73) — related
- Virtual patients more effectively improve skills than traditional education (pooled SMD=0.90) — related
- Video is more effective for teaching skills than for transmitting knowledge — related
- Virtual patients are as effective as traditional education for knowledge outcomes (pooled SMD=0.11) — related
- Simulation Based Education Improves Outcomes — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
vp-vs-other-digital-no-difference |
title |
In the few trials comparing them, virtual patients showed no significant knowledge differences versus other digital education, and skills differences in only one of three studies |
description |
In the few trials comparing them, virtual patients showed no significant knowledge differences versus other digital education, and skills differences in only one of three studies |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2019 |
source_checked |
2026-10-19 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-17 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — kononowicz-a-a-2019 |
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