ABSTRACT:
The Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Deaconess Mount Auburn Institute for Education and Research has embarked on a long-term project to develop a computerized or "virtual" representation of the third-year medical school curriculum. The goal is to enrich the patient-based experiences of students during their hospital clerkships.
Traditional methods of medical education have been profoundly disrupted by changes in healthcare delivery and financing in teaching hospitals like ours. Reduced exposure to a wide variety of pathology and shorter hospitalizations have resulted in a very different teaching environment. In planning for the future of medical education, the Institute has identified the development of computer-based, multimedia education as central to addressing many of the challenges facing medical education.
Sophisticated multimedia technology, utilizing a highly interactive design, will enable students to immerse themselves in the patient's case. Actual physical findings, diagnostic studies, patient interviews, pathophysiology lessons and the outcome of therapy will be available on demand, utilizing digitized images, animation, audio and video. This format allows for expanded opportunities in educational design, self directed learning, and a multidisciplinary approach to education.
The presentation will focus on three key areas of the Virtual Patient Project;
1. Technical aspects of the educational design, development
environment, and distribution used in the Virtual Patient Project.
2. Working with clinical faculty to develop high-end multimedia.
3. Instilling a sense of ownership in the faculty and students to
guarantee long term use and participation.
A demonstration of a prototype virtual patient will be included in the presentation.
James B. McGee, M.D. Lunder Clinical Educator for Multimedia Programs Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Deaconess Mount Auburn Institute for Education and Research Instructor in Medicine Harvard Medical School
Ned Casey Multimedia Specialist Harvard Medical School Beth Israel Deaconess Mount Auburn Institute for Education and Research