[The informatics: a remarkable tool for teaching general internal medicine]

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Digital Health

Context:

• The INTERMED training is a three-week course integrated into the primary care module for first-year master's medical students at the University of Lausanne.
• It addresses the need for practical clinical reasoning and decision-making skills in a simulated environment.

Purpose:

• To describe the innovative pedagogical approach of the INTERMED training program.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a blended learning strategy combining e-learning and Team-based Learning (TBL) for medical students.

Summary:

• INTERMED training employs a cycle of individual e-learning modules featuring virtual patients, followed by collaborative Team-based Learning (TBL) sessions.
• Students engage in complete medical encounters, practicing clinical reasoning, diagnosis, and treatment selection within a web-based virtual learning environment.
• This approach provides an authentic, safe space for medical trainees to learn and make errors without real-world consequences.

Impact:

• Enhances medical students' clinical reasoning and decision-making abilities through simulated patient encounters.
• Provides a scalable and reproducible model for medical training, leveraging digital health tools.
• Fosters collaborative learning and prepares students for real-world clinical practice in primary care settings.