Ultrasound simulators in obstetrics and gynecology: state of the art

Simulation and virtual reality have spread in various field of medicine, from anesthesiology to surgery and emergency care. In all medical fields, simulation offers the possibility of making errors without experiencing negative patient outcomes. Additionally, the negative emotions generated by failures or errors are critical to the medical learning process but are experienced more constructively in the context of simulation than in real life. Ultrasound is the primary method of imaging in obstetrics and gynecology and has become an essential part of practice. To date, ultrasound simulators have been mainly used to teach basic skills in cardiac ultrasound within emergency and internal care units. In the field of obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound, simulators have appeared at the beginning of this century and have led to only few studies. This field is developing and could bring several benefits into teaching, training and evaluation of ultrasound competency. We reviewed the existing literature to provide with an overview of the state of the art in the use of simulation in ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology.