Virtual patients for communication training: promising, but how certain is the evidence?

What was studied?

The umbrella review synthesized nine systematic reviews of immersive technologies and virtual-patient approaches used to teach clinical communication in undergraduate health professions education.

What did the study find?

Across reviews, virtual and immersive approaches were reported as potentially beneficial for short-term communication performance, learner engagement and perceived confidence. However, all nine included systematic reviews were rated critically low in methodological quality, and the evidence was highly heterogeneous.

What might this mean for medical educators?

Digital approaches may be useful as one component of communication education, particularly where they create opportunities for repeatable practice and feedback. But educational technology should be judged by learning design, measurement quality and transfer—not by novelty.

What does it not establish?

The review does not establish durable improvement in empathy, nonverbal communication or real-world clinical performance. Confidence in the evidence is limited by the quality of the underlying reviews and variability in interventions and outcomes.