Virtual patient simulation: what do students make of it? A focus group study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Learner perspectives are key to the success of Virtual Patient Simulation (VPS) systems.
• Focus group interviews explored medical students' opinions on the educational use of the Web-based Simulation of Patients (Web-SP) application.
• Understanding student views is essential for effective development and implementation of VPS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore medical students' perspectives on the educational utility of Virtual Patient Simulation (VPS) systems.
• To identify key themes associated with the successful implementation of VPS in medical curricula.
• To gather insights for improving the design and application of VPS in healthcare education.

Main Methods:

• Two focus group interviews were conducted with 8 undergraduate medical students each.
• Interviews were conducted in Spanish, transcribed, and translated into English.
• Content analysis of transcripts was performed independently by two authors, followed by a consensus discussion.

Main Results:

• Five main themes emerged: learning, teaching, assessment, authenticity, and implementation.
• Students view VPS as crucial for developing clinical reasoning, transferable skills, and enhancing learning retention.
• Authenticity of VPS is influenced by design, content, socio-cultural context, case realism, and feedback quality.

Conclusions:

• Virtual Patients are perceived by medical students as vital tools for both learning and assessment.
• VPS effectively foster clinical reasoning skills essential for future medical practice.
• Further improvements in VPS design, authenticity, and implementation are necessary to maximize educational benefits.