SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
A Bibliometric Analysis of Simulation-Based Learning in Medical Education: Trends, Gaps, and Future Directions
Provisionally accepted
Falah Mohammed Abdulla Husain AlMarzooqi1*
Afaf Sulaiman Alblooshi1
Taleb Almansoori1
Gamila Ahmed1
Saif Al-Shamsi1
Faten AlRadini2- 1United Arab Emirates University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 2Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Background: Simulation-based medical education (SBME) has become a cornerstone of modern healthcare training, enhancing clinical competence, decision-making, and patient safety. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of SBME literature from 2001 to early 2025, aiming to map publication trends, key contributors, thematic developments, and global research collaboration. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. A total of 613 articles were screened, with 520 included for analysis. The Bibliometrix R package was used for trend analysis, author productivity, keyword co-occurrence, and collaboration network mapping. Results: SBME publications showed significant growth, peaking in 2024. Key contributors include Schijven M and Cook DA. Major research themes shifted from technical skill acquisition to non-technical competencies and technology-enhanced learning, including virtual reality and AI. Co-occurrence analysis revealed distinct thematic clusters and rising global collaborations, though disparities persist, particularly in underrepresented regions. A noted decline in 2025 output reflects partial-year data and is included only for context rather than trend interpretation. Conclusion: SBME research has evolved rapidly, driven by technological advances and global health priorities. Continued investment in equitable access, interdisciplinary collaboration, and outcome-based studies is vital to fully realize the transformative potential of simulation in medical education.
Keywords: bibliography, Clinical Competence, Curriculum, Educational Technology, human, medical training
Received: 26 Aug 2025; Accepted: 03 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 AlMarzooqi, Alblooshi, Almansoori, Ahmed, Al-Shamsi and AlRadini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Falah Mohammed Abdulla Husain AlMarzooqi
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.