Interventional radiology simulation: prepare for a virtual revolution in training.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to learn interventional radiology (IR) skills because there are fewer "straightforward" invasive diagnostic imaging studies, a reduction in the time available for training, concerns about patient safety, and changing patient perceptions. Computer-based simulation has the potential to allow an operator to realistically perform a virtual procedure with feedback about performance and could remove at least some of the patient's role during the learning curve. To do this effectively requires a strategy for integrating simulator models into curricula and the development of standards for their validation.