Use of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) has been shown to improve quality of care in medical practice and to support cost-conscious practice of evidence-based medicine. The EMR harnesses the power of the computer to organize massive amounts of information from chronological paper records into a searchable database that can be used efficiently and effectively to support patient care. While the EMR has been shown to improve quality of care, it is not universally implemented or skillfully used by practitioners. We are initiating a Web-based system in which health professions education can use the capacities of the EMR to support education as well as teach students to be competent users of the EMR itself.

The Virtual Practice is a health professions education innovation that will use a prototype EMR system (Medscape Logician) containing a set of "virtual patients". It will be used as a vehicle to teach students how to use EMRs effectively and as a tool to provide students with periodic exposure to patients with problems that correlate with curricular content. As students progress, the EMR will also be used for their real patients. Skills that we expect will be improved and supported by using the EMR throughout the curriculum include applying basic science concepts by providing interactive clinical context, data-gathering skills, problem formulation, and medical decision-making. The Virtual Practice will contain a hardware and software infrastructure, as well as electronic data and "tools", including "virtual" patient data and tasks, access to curricular elements, and access to data repositories. Through this system, the student will be able to interact with a "patient", with other students (peer consultation), and with instructors. Pilot implementation of educational applications of the Virtual Practice is planned for summer 2002.

Participants will learn about our plans for using the electronic medical record as an educational tool. The goals are to develop a Web-based system in which health professions education can use the capacities of the EMR to support education as well as teach students to be competent users of the EMR itself.

Kathryn L. Lovell, Ph.D.
CHM Office of Academic Programs
A254 Life Sciences
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517-353-5440x221
Fax: 517-432-1051
Email: lovell@msu.edu

CO-AUTHORS:
Michael Z. Zaroukian M.D.
Dept. Medicine
B306 Clinical Center
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517-432-3404
Email: zaroukia@msu.edu