A Systematic Scoping Review of the Current Applications of Digital Technology in Undergraduate Surgical Education

Abstract

Over the past few decades, technological advancements have established digital tools as an indispensable pedagogical resource in the realm of modern education. In the field of medical education, there is growing interest in how these digital tools can be effectively integrated to enhance undergraduate surgical education. However, despite their well-documented potential benefits, research specifically investigating the current use of digital technology in undergraduate surgical education remains limited, highlighting a critical gap in the existing literature. To address this research gap, this scoping review aims to elucidate the current utilisation of digital technologies in undergraduate surgical education by addressing the research question: 'How are digital technologies currently being utilised in undergraduate surgical education to meet surgical learning outcomes'. A scoping review was performed, adopting the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework. A comprehensive search strategy was conducted using the search terms 'technology' OR 'simulation' OR 'virtual reality' OR 'augmented reality' OR 'digital' OR 'online' AND 'undergraduate' AND 'surgical' on multiple electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Medline, ERIC, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. These search terms were executed using both free-text and MeSH terms, with search terms combined using Boolean operators to ensure all relevant citations were captured. All search results were screened against the eligibility criteria using Covidence, a web-based software platform, using a two-stage process. Subsequently, all included studies were reviewed, and the extracted data was systematically sorted and organised, with the findings presented graphically accompanied by descriptive narratives. A thematic analysis was also performed to identify themes within the data to synthesise key findings. This scoping review revealed three key findings. First, the use of digital tools in surgical education has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the integration of technology into surgical education. Second, this review also highlighted the key role of anatomy within surgical education, with most included studies reporting the use of digital technologies to enhance anatomy teaching. Finally, this review provided an overview of various digital tools used in surgical education and their associated user experiences. Overall, most studies indicated that digital technologies are well-received by students, with many advocating for their continued use in supplementing surgical education even beyond the pandemic. This review provides a crucial foundation for understanding the evolving role of digital innovations in shaping undergraduate surgical education. To enhance undergraduate surgical education, integrating appropriate digital learning tools can provide more learner-centred and personalised learning experiences. Educators must recognise that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' approach, and a flexible multimodal strategy is necessary to meet diverse learning needs. As technology continues to evolve and its role in education grows, this review offers valuable insights into the current use of digital tools in surgical education, highlighting opportunities for improvement and innovation to further enhance undergraduate surgical experience.

Keywords: digital; education; learning; surgery; technology.

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram for the study selection process.

PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Figure 2. Types of included studies.

Figure 3. Years of publications of included studies.

Figure 4. Number of publications according to years.

*Graph showing a significant increase in the number of publications on the utilisation of digital technology in the delivery of undergraduate surgical education since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 5. Studies related to COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 6. Geographical distribution of studies included in the review.

Figure 7. Areas of surgical curriculum where technology is used.

Figure 8. Reported objectives for the use of digital technology in undergraduate surgical education.

Figure 9. Breakdown of the technologies used in the included articles.

Figure 10. Number of studies reporting the utilisation of digital technology across different years of study.

Figure 11. Diagrammatic representation of grouping decisions for thematic review.