Abstract
BackgroundClinical reasoning is a fundamental process medical students have to learn during and after medical school. Virtual patients (VP) are a technology-enhanced learning method to teach clinical reasoning. However, VP systems do not exploit their full potential concerning the clinical reasoning process; for example, most systems focus on the outcome and less on the process of clinical reasoning.ObjectivesKeeping our concept grounded in a former qualitative study, we aimed to design and implement a tool to enhance VPs with activities and feedback, which specifically foster the acquisition of clinical reasoning skills.MethodsWe designed the tool by translating elements of a conceptual clinical reasoning learning framework into software requirements. The resulting clinical reasoning tool enables learners to build their patient’s illness script as a concept map when they are working on a VP scenario. The student’s map is compared with the experts’ reasoning at each stage of the VP, which is technically enabled by using Medical Subject Headings, which is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary published by the US National Library of Medicine. The tool is implemented using Web technologies, has an open architecture that enables its integration into various systems through an open application program interface, and is available under a Massachusetts Institute of Technology license.ResultsWe conducted usability tests following a think-aloud protocol and a pilot field study with maps created by 64 medical students. The results show that learners interact with the tool but create less nodes and connections in the concept map than an expert. Further research and usability tests are required to analyze the reasons.ConclusionsThe presented tool is a versatile, systematically developed software component that specifically supports the clinical reasoning skills acquisition. It can be plugged into VP systems or used as stand-alone software in other teaching scenarios. The modular design allows an extension with new feedback mechanisms and learning analytics algorithms.
Highlights
In the context of health care education, virtual patients (VPs) are often described as interactive, computer-based programs that simulate real-life clinical encounters [1]
Keeping our concept grounded in a former qualitative study, we aimed to design and implement a tool to enhance VPs with activities and feedback, which foster the acquisition of clinical reasoning skills
The student’s map is compared with the experts’ reasoning at each stage of the VP, which is technically enabled by using Medical Subject Headings, which is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary published by the US National Library of Medicine
Summary
In the context of health care education, virtual patients (VPs) are often described as interactive, computer-based programs that simulate real-life clinical encounters [1]. In the form of interactive patient scenarios, they are typically used to foster clinical reasoning skills acquisition in health care education [2,3]. 1 (page number not for citation purposes) variety of commercial and open-source VP systems, such as CASUS, OpenLabyrinth, or i-Human are available and applied in health care education [4]. Such systems provide tools for educators to create VP scenarios and deliver them to their students. VP systems do not exploit their full potential concerning the clinical reasoning process; for example, most systems focus on the outcome and less on the process of clinical reasoning
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
