Virtual patients as a format for simulation learning in continuing medical education (review article)

Abstract

The use of virtual patients for students and for advanced training of medical doctors is a definite pedagogic innovation. The computer-based interactive multimedia simulations of scenarios for diagnosis and treatment allow for the avoidance of the risk of improper actions in regard to a real life patient, to repeat the clinical situations an unlimited number of times, and to standardize the tasks and criteria of their completion. Virtual patients represent a factual basis of problem-based learning. This review article focuses on the use of this educational technology for the development of medical decision making skills internationally, on its pedagogical effectiveness, and on the variants of the linear and branching scenarios. Meta-analyses demonstrate the pedagogical effectiveness of virtual patients and an interest of the trainees. An integration of the virtual patients into the learning contributes to clinical training gamification, which inspires the students and medical doctors to engage in interactivity and teamwork. The creation of a repository or a web-service of multimedia virtual patients in the tradition of national clinical school is of great current interest for implementation in the system of higher and continuing medical education.