Digital transformation in healthcare professional training: competencies in artificial intelligence, clinical simulation and ethics XI Taller Internacional “La Educación Médica: Retos y Perspectivas”

Abstract

The training of healthcare professionals is undergoing a process of accelerated transformation driven by the development of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, clinical simulation ecosystems, and new ethical frameworks associated with the use of digital systems. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the perceptions, meanings, and tensions experienced by students and faculty in health sciences programs regarding the integration of advanced digital competencies, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, clinical simulation, and ethical decision-making in digital environments. A hermeneutic phenomenological design was developed, using semi-structured interviews conducted at three Latin American universities in Peru, Colombia, and Mexico. The analysis was performed using deep thematic coding, following criteria of qualitative rigor (credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability). The findings revealed three main themes: artificial intelligence as an epistemological challenge and an opportunity for new forms of clinical reasoning; clinical simulation as a safe space to learn and make mistakes in the digital age; and clinical ethics as an essential cross-cutting competency for healthcare professionals who interact with algorithms, data, and intelligent systems. The study proposed an integrated model of digital competencies for healthcare professionals that articulated artificial intelligence, simulation, and clinical ethics with professional reasoning. The results offered guidelines for curriculum reform, teacher training, and the strengthening of digital ecosystems for health education.