Veronica E. Michaelsen
University of Virginia

ABSTRACT:

Computer patient simulations are gaining popularity across the medical curriculum. Creating and implementing such simulations presents a variety of challenges. The first challenge is getting the content expert to author cases for student use. Too often content experts have little time to devote to learning a case authoring system. Having a third party enter case data introduces potential delays and errors into the process. Additionally, content experts often do not have ready access to electronic media sources that would enrich the case presentation.

At the University of Virginia, we have developed a case authoring and presentation interface (Case Tool) that aims to resolve some of these issues. By using a web application developed in ColdFusion, content experts can author a complete case simply by filling out  a series of web forms. Entries are stored in a database and cases can be ready for student use as soon as the case author makes them available. Help pages are provided to support the author and media objects stored in the Medical Multimedia Database are available for use in any case by any author at the institution, thus reducing the need for content experts to generate novel media for each case.

In addition to the authoring interface, Case Tool has a presentation interface for student use. This interface was designed to  emphasize diagnostic reasoning rather than medical management and, as such, relies on a linear presentation of data. The students choose diagnostic studies in an interactive manner and results generated under the direction of the case author. These results can include interpretations, normal values/studies for comparison, comments or even questions.

The inclusion of media is supported at every step of the case presentation, as is student feedback. The case author can elect to ask questions at any step and student responses are stored in the database. These responses can be reviewed by the case author or course/rotation director to assess student use or to generate improvements of the case. While Case Tool was initially designed to support small group case discussions in the first and second year curriculum, its use has been expanded to include individual student use in the clerkship years.

Attendees will see a database-driven solution to case authoring and presentation. Additionally, the Medical Multimedia Database and its integration with Case Tool will be demonstrated, showing how media objects can be effectively shared across an institution. The authors welcome any feedback regarding improvements and modifications that attendees would find useful.

Veronica E. Michaelsen
University of Virginia Health System
PO Box 800382
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Phone: 804-924-1528
Fax: (804) 982-4030
Email: vmichaelsen@virginia.edu

CO-AUTHORS:
John Jackson
Haiyan He
University of Virginia Health System
PO Box 800555
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Phone: 804-924-1528 (JJ)
Fax: (804) 982-4030
Email: jjackson@virginia.edu
hh9a@virginia.edu