The development of a “virtual patient” case for the continuing professional education of dentists

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the design and development of a “virtual patient” case for the continuing professional education of graduate dentists in Greece. The “virtual patients” are interactive computer simulations of various clinical conditions, applied in all levels of healthcare education, providing training and assessment. They provide a reliable and safe educational environment in which to practice diagnostic skills and make clinical decisions. Two software programmes were applied VUE and OpenLabyrinth. The scenario was related to the management of an older medically compromised dental patient and was developed by an expert in Geriatric Dentistry with special knowledge in open and distance learning and adult learning. The application was implemented by a computer programmer. Clinical photographs, radiographs and avatars were incorporated in the final case. The scenario was further evaluated by dental academic experts and pretested in 10 dental professionals to diagnose any technical problems. The dentist could choose online from a variety of different clinical decisions the one he/ she preferred. For each choice he/ she received immediate feedback from an “expert”. A summative self-assessment at the end of the case presented the decisions that should have been avoided and the time spent in each node (internet page). An initial evaluation was added to investigate the sociodemographic data of the learners and their knowledge and attitudes towards treating the elderly. A final evaluation including both close-ended and open-ended questions evaluated all aspects of the application and the learning outcomes. The “virtual patients” are an important innovation which enhances self-directed learning at the time, place and pace of each individual learner and can be a valuable alternative educational method in the continuing education of the health professionals.