The use of virtual patients in medical education

Abstract

The use of simulations in medical education depends on the interest of the academic institutions and the educators, on technological developments, on infrastructure, on the resources of the medical faculties and on the integration into medical curricula. Virtual patient simulations involving high-techology, emerge as one of today’s most popular topics in medical education. In this review, a simulation, ”virtual patient’’, is studied under the main headings concerning its description, essential features, its use and its future in medical education.