JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

With the increasing recognition of the importance of simulation-based teaching in medical education, research in this field has rapidly developed. To comprehensively understand the research dynamics and trends in this area, we conducted an analysis of knowledge mapping and global trends.

Objective:

This study aims to reveal the research hotspots and development trends in the field of simulation-based teaching in medical education from 2004 to 2024 through bibliometric and visualization analysis.

Methods:

Using CiteSpace software, we performed bibliometric and visualization analysis on 6,743 articles related to simulation-based teaching in medical education, published in core journals from 2004 to 2024. The analysis included publication trends, contributions by countries/regions and institutions, contributions by authors, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, and keyword bursts.

Results:

From 2004 to 2008, the number of articles published annually did not exceed 100. However, starting from 2009, the number increased year by year, reaching a peak of 850 articles in 2024, indicating rapid development in this research field. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China published the most articles. Harvard University emerged as a research hub with 1,799 collaborative links, although the overall collaboration density was low. Among the 6,743 core journal articles, a total of 858 authors were involved, with Konge Lars and Dubrowski Adam being the most prolific. Overall, the collaboration density was low, and the collaboration network was relatively dispersed. A total of 812 common keywords were identified, forming 4,189 links. The keywords "medical education," "education," and "simulation" had the highest frequency of occurrence. Cluster analysis indicated that "cardiopulmonary resuscitation" and "surgical education" were major research hotspots. Twenty burst keywords were identified from 2004 to 2024, among which "patient simulation," "randomized controlled trial," "clinical competence," and "deliberate practice" had high burst strength. In recent years, "application of simulation in medical education," "3D printing," "augmented reality," and "simulation training" have become research frontiers.

Conclusions:

Research on the application of simulation-based teaching in medical education has become a hotspot, with expanding research areas and hotspots. Futuarch should strengthen inter-institutional collaboration and focus on the application of emerging technologies in simulation-based teaching.