Study of the Impact of How the Virtual Patient's Anamnesis is Designed on the Reasoning Pattern and Therapeutic Decision Making

The problem-solving approach is found in virtual patient designs concerned with teaching clinical reasoning and diagnosis. Generally the student has to collect a range of information, usually from menus of possible history questions, physical examination, and lab tests, and make diagnostic and therapeutic decisions based on their findings. The information is not cued - the student have to decide what is relevant. An introduction screen is shown to the student when the virtual patient is initiated. Case author have used it differently - some entered a complete chief complaint and part of anamnesis findings while other have not disclosed anything about the patient. There is a lack of evidence of the impact of the information provided in the introduction screen on the students diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. The reasoning pattern may also be altered if positive findings are provided to the student without an active request for it.

The results will be of importance when virtual patients are used for assessing students.