The use of technology in human anatomy teaching: A systematic review of the literature from 2017 to 2020

Abstract

Technology stands out as an advancing agent, especially in the area of health. The study of human anatomy in medical courses remains traditionalist with theoretical lectures and dissection of cadavers, so technological methodologies seem to assist the teaching, making it interactive. Thus, the objective of the study is to analyze the perspectives of the use of technologies in the teaching of the human anatomy to insert them in undergraduate medical courses. A systematic review of the literature was carried out covering papers published between January 2017 and March 2020 in the electronic databases PubMed and Science Direct. Three inclusion criteria were listed: studies with medical students or targeted to medical students, studies with medical residents, and studies that evaluate the use of technological development in the teaching of human anatomy; and three exclusion criteria: studies with animals, studies with students from other health courses, and studies involving specific surgical area or technique. Eleven papers were read in full. As a result, smartphones, rapid response code (QR), virtual reality (VR), three-dimensional printed modalities (3DP), 3D prostheses, and other technologies benefited the students in anatomical learning, who reported an attractive instrument, easy to handle, and accessible even far from the laboratory. Technologies have proven to be effective in teaching human anatomy, given that most studies have proven their enriching potential in assessments that have achieved similar and better results than teaching with traditional practices.