MedBiquitous Virtual Patient SpecificationStatus: Draft

The opportunity

Virtual patients are notoriously difficult to author, adapt and exchange. Historically this has limited their uptake and utility, despite their being able to provide high quality learning opportunities. The MedBiquitous standards organization has developed a data standard for virtual patients to help to address these problems.

MedBiquitous defines a virtual patient as “an interactive computer simulation of real-life clinical scenarios for the purpose of health professions training, education, or assessment. Users may be learners, teachers, or examiners” (Ellaway, Candler et al. 2006). The MedBiquitous Virtual Patient (MVP) specification has been designed to be sufficiently abstract and adaptable so that it can accommodate a wide range of applications. The MVP consists of five data components, each of which can be accessed and assembled in a number of different ways. The components can be delivered in a SCORM content package.

A standards-based approach

Standards for the exchange and delivery of virtual patients enable institutions developing virtual patients to join forces in the development of virtual patient content for use in learning and assessment in all disciplines and at all levels. Implementations include the European Commission co-funded eViP project to develop a bank of shared virtual patient content for European healthcare education.

More Information

http://www.medbiq.org/working_groups/ virtual_patient/index.html

Draft data and player specifications and schemas available.

Other Standards and Specifications Used:SCORM and Healthcare Learning Object Metadata

Working Group Members

• Spenser Aden • Susan Albright• Ben Azan • Dmitriy Babinchenko• Chara Balasubramaniam• Linda Bell• Chris Candler • Emily Conradi• David Davies• Parvati Dev• Jeroen Donkers• Shona Dippie• Uno Fors • Robert Galbraith• Dennis Glenn• Michael Hagen• Frank Hess• Jörn Heid• Matthias Holzer

Where Next?The standard is currently in beta testing with a number of groups involved in pilot projects (including Karolinska Institute, Tufts University, and Northern Ontario School of Medicine) using different authoring and delivery tools and platforms. Once beta testing is complete it will go forward as a candidate for a full ANSI standards registration.

Components of the MedBiquitous Virtual Patient Specification

The same virtual patient activity imported to and delivered within three different virtual patient systems within different institutions

Ellaway, R., Candler, C., Greene, P. and Smothers, V. (2006). "An Architectural Model for MedBiquitous Virtual Patients". Baltimore, MD, MedBiquitous

Virtual Patients Working GroupRachel Ellaway and J.B. McGee, Co-chairs

rachel.ellaway@normed.ca; mcgee@medschool.pitt.edu

®

• Grace Huang• Soeren Huwendiek • Patrik Jonsson• Carol Kamin • Peter Kant• Joy Leffler• Sandra McIntyre• Yanko Michea • Dick Moberg• Nancy Posel • Beth Powell• Narain Ramluchumun • Dan Rehak • Kathie Rose• Deborah Sher• Gurjeet Shokar • Arnold Somasunderam• Chris Toth• Marc Triola • Dan Walker• Pat Youngblood• Nabil Zary

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Authoring System A Authoring System B Authoring System C

www.medbiq.org