Distance Education in Anesthesia Using Screen-Based Simulation – A Brief Integrative Review

Screen-based simulation (SBS) using digital technology has been demonstrated to improve the cognitive and psychomotor skills of anesthesia trainees. As a method of education and evaluation, this form of simulation offers multiple advantages related to cost, availability, simplicity, repeatability, and scorability. Online use of SBS with software employing standard cloud-based peer-to-peer platforms allows for instruction at a distance of important anesthesia-related critical thinking skills including crisis management. Despite the fact that there are no studies concerning the application of SBS in anesthesia distance education, this form of instruction has increased as a result of quarantine measures associated with the coronavirus-2 pandemic that have disrupted traditional in-person mannequin-based simulation, and its usage likely will continue through the post-pandemic era for multiple reasons. Several options exist for asynchronous and synchronous teaching of anesthesia skills at a distance with SBS, and there are useful techniques that can assist in achieving these educational goals with this process.