International Journal of Healthcare Simulation

Background:

There has been a gradual increase in research using technology such as eye-tracking in medical education in simulation. Subsequently, the aim of this review is to examine primary research for simulation-based education using eye-tracking technology.

Method:

The Strengthening of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) method was used to evaluate the reliability of the simulation and eye-tracking articles ^[1]. The search strategy included articles published between 2010 and 2021. Articles were searched using terms derived from McCormack et al. (2014). An electronic database search was performed in January 2021: CINAHL, Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Science Direct and APA Psych INFO with 2,621 hits. The search strategy included the following Boolean terms; ‘expert’ AND ‘visual’ OR eye track* (eye tracking) AND simulat* (simulation or simulated) AND diagnos* (diagnose or diagnosis).

Findings:

The key finding from this narrative review highlighted the use of eye-tracking technology as an objective assessment tool in simulation-based education ^[2]. The literature reinforced the use of algorithms (e.g. ABCDE approach) when assessing a patient. Furthermore, the different gaze patterns between novices and experts were identified. There are limited studies available in simulation-based education using eye-tracking technology. Furthermore, none of the studies has measured the development of gaze patterns in simulation using a longitudinal study with a repeated simulated scenario.

Implication for practice:

Eye-tracking technology can pinpoint the exact areas the healthcare provider is gazing upon during a simulated scenario to help focus the debrief and highlight the gaze patterns. Encourage the use of algorithms when delivering simulation-based education.