title: Virtual patient instruction for dental students: can it improve dental care access for persons with special needs?
abstract: An interactive, virtual-patient module was produced on compact disc (CD-ROM) in response to the critical need to increase dental students' clinical exposure to patients with developmental disabilities. A content development team consisting of dental faculty members, parents of children with developmental disabilities, an individual with a developmental disability, and educational specialists developed the interactive, virtual-patient module. The module focused on a young man with congenital deafblindness presenting as a new patient with a painful molar. Students were required to make decisions regarding clinical interactions throughout the module. Differences in both comfort and knowledge level were measured pre- and post-module completion, as well as the dental students' overall satisfaction with the learning experience. Significant results were obtained in students' perceived comfort and knowledge base. Participants reported overall satisfaction using the modules. This study demonstrated that an interactive, multi-media (CD-ROM), virtual patient learning module for dental students could be an effective tool in providing students needed clinical exposure to patients with developmental disabilities.
authors.affiliation: Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky, USA. cbsand2@uky.edu
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Harold L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kleinert
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herren
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Theiss
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mink
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016251:CD-ROM; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D054062:Deaf-Blind Disorders / Q000150:complications; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000150:complications; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D016544:Patient Simulation; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult