Comparison of Knowledge Retention after the Use of a Virtual Patient versus a High-Fidelity Physical Simulator and Traditional Training

Abstract

Aim: This research assesses the effect of a virtual patient simulation platform CyberPatient (CP) compared to a high-fidelity physical simulator SimJunior (SJ) and traditional bedside training (TBT) on knowledge retention and competencies in a health education environment. Material: A total of 143 fifthyear medical students were randomly assigned to three groups: TBT-Group (n = 55) received traditional education; CP-Group (n = 44) was trained with a virtual patient platform CyberPatient; and SJ-Group (n = 44) was trained using a high-fidelity simulator SimJunior. Educational content for all groups included competencies on pediatric asthma. Methods: Students' level of knowledge acquisition was measured with a multiple-choice question test (MCQ) administered before the application of educational methods (Assessment I), immediately after completion of pediatric asthma training (Assessment II), and knowledge retention was measured two months later the completion of training (Assessment III). At the end of the study, student satisfaction was also measured by a survey questionnaire containing 5 questions rated on a Likert scale. Results: Assessment of acquired knowledge immediately after completion of pediatric asthma training revealed a significant difference between TBT-Group and SJ-Group (p < 0.05) only. However, the knowledge retention score was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for the CP-Group (91.89 ± 17.67) and ) in comparison to TBT-Group with traditional education (82.63 ± 26.22