Second-Phase Virtual Patient Literature Review

We are returning focus to case-based online content and how 'virtual patient' encounters may be developed and integrated into curriculum. A comprehensive review was undertaken a few years ago and revealed how a number of national and international medical schools were making use of various virtual patient authoring tools available at the time. The study brought a number of pedagogic principals to light and suggested a basis on which to develop a system. The full review can be accessed here.

However, the perceivable changes in the development of software and devices since then have given cause to re-evaluate how case-based online resources are being developed and delivered. For example, the advent of HTML5 and increasing use of smartphones may have dictated some degree of change in approach to development and deployment of content.

A new review will firstly conduct a review of widely used authoring systems and the gathering of information relating to the success of their use within various settings across different medical education institutions. If you have any thoughts or experience of the implementation of current clinical scenario-based study resources, then please do comment and share.

School of Medicine E-Learning Team

eGuidelines App

Guidelines and eGuidelines.co.uk have announced the launch of the new, free, and fully searchable Guidelines app. Guidelines contains concise clinical guideline summaries of all the major primary and shared care guidelines in the UK. With this iPad- and iPhone-compatible app, you can now access all the content from the Guidelines handbook in just three taps.

Download from the App Store

The Guidelines app is full of useful features:

• Immediate access to summaries of NICE guidelines, independent professional body guidance, and expert-led working party guidelines
• Every table, care pathway, and flowchart from the Guidelines handbook
• Quick access to clinical guideline summaries in just three taps
• iPad- and iPhone- compatible
• Fully searchable
• No requirement for an Internet connection
• Bookmark your most read/favourite guideline summaries
• Updated content three times a year.

Guidelines is the three-times yearly handbook summarising clinical guidelines for primary and shared care. Their aim is to provide those involved in developing and implementing practice or locality guidelines with a valuable reference source in a convenient, easy-to-use format. Due to the continual development and revision of national guidelines, Guidelines is updated throughout the year.