Is simulation useful in preparing doctors-to-be for patient death: A narrative review

Clinical and communication skills involved in managing patient death are essential for medical practitioners, yet these skills are often neglected in undergraduate medical education. We aim to review current reported evidence of simulation-based education on medical students’ preparedness and performance toward patient death. A narrative review of the literature on simulation-based education for medical students on patient death was conducted. Data on study design, simulation dimension, evaluation tool, and outcome were collected and summarized. Eleven prospective studies were included for narrative review. Simulation modalities included mannequins, standardized patients, and online virtual reality. Heterogeneity in the evaluation tool of simulation-based education was demonstrated. Ninety percent of studies concluded positive outcome of simulation on improving medical students’ preparedness in patient death. No negative or adverse learner reaction was reported. Simulation-based education may safely improve medical students’ competence in handling patient death. Current data and evaluation tools of education outcomes are sparse and heterogeneous. Future research is encouraged to explore this under-researched topic, amid increasing interest in the use of simulation in medical education.