The role of digital twin technology in transforming medical education: a scoping review

This scoping review mapped the current landscape of digital twin applications in health professions education and identified gaps in the evidence. The review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Six bibliographic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and IEEE Xplore) were searched from inception to March 10, 2026, supplemented by a register search (ClinicalTrials.gov) and a search of Google Scholar as an additional source. Studies describing the development, implementation, or evaluation of digital twins in health professions education were included. Data were extracted using a standardized charting form, and methodological quality was assessed with appropriate JBI critical appraisal tools. Findings were subsequently reviewed in a one-round modified Delphi consultation with stakeholders. Seventeen studies published between 2022 and 2025 met the inclusion criteria. Because three publications report the same critical care platform, these 17 reports describe 15 distinct systems. Digital twins were applied at patient-, organ-, device-, and environment- or institutional-levels across surgery, critical care, anatomy, radiology, and dentistry. Each included system was verified against three defining characteristics of digital twins: personalization, a counterpart-derived data pathway, and generative or predictive capability. Four studies satisfied all three, eight satisfied two, four satisfied one, and one proposed all three without implementing any; only a single study reported continuous closed-loop bidirectional synchronization between a physical and a virtual counterpart. Most studies were technical reports or proof-of-concept demonstrations, and no controlled educational trials were identified. Evaluations focused primarily on learner perceptions and satisfaction, whereas only one study reported quantitative learning outcomes. No study assessed behavioral transfer to clinical practice or patient-level outcomes. Digital twin technology in health professions education is, therefore, best characterized as an active area of technical development that remains educationally unvalidated. The principal contribution of this review is a structured map of what has been built, how it has been verified against the digital twin construct, and precisely where educational evidence is absent. Future research should emphasize theory-informed development, rigorous experimental designs, and validated educational outcomes to determine the educational value of these approaches.