Developing practical criteria for evaluating online patient simulations: a preliminary study.
Online patient simulations are increasingly used in medical education. However, uniform criteria for evaluating simulations don't exist. This study explored expert opinion regarding the essential components of online simulations. Preliminary criteria were examined through a survey of 22 medical educators and follow-up interviews with nine educators. Features involving routine tasks and the teaching of problem solving skills-histories, physicals, labs, and differential diagnoses were highly rated. Features conveying realism such as time constraints and the use of multimedia were ranked lower. Interviewees noted three impediments to wider use of simulations: time required to develop content, limits of current technology and the absence of usable authoring tools.
Shim
Brenda
B
Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.
Brock
Douglas
D
Jenkins
Lindsay
L
D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009862:Online Systems / Q000592:standards*; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014861:Washington