title: The use of virtual patients in medical school curricula.
abstract: The demonstration of patient-based cases using automated technology [virtual patients (VPs)] has been available to health science educators for a number of decades. Despite the promise of VPs as an easily accessible and moldable platform, their widespread acceptance and integration into medical curricula have been slow. Here, the authors review the technological underpinnings of VPs, summarize the literature regarding the use and limitations of VPs in the healthcare curriculum, describe novel possible applications of the technology, and propose possible directions for future work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA. juan.cendan@ucf.edu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cendan
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lok
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010361:Patients; D013337:Students, Medical; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D053443:Visible Human Projects