The use of a virtual patient case in an OSCE-based exam - A pilot study

Background: This study focuses on a skills test based clinical assessment where 118 fourth-year medical students at the four teaching hospitals of Karolinska Institutet participated in the same 12-module OSCE. The goal of one of the twelve examination modules was to assess the students’ skills and ability to solve a virtual patient (VP) case (the ISP system), which included medical history taking, lab tests, physical examinations and suggestion of a preliminary diagnosis.Aims: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of a VP as a possible tool for assessment of clinical reasoning and problem solving ability among medical students. The feeling of realism of the VP and its possible affective impact on the student's confidence were also investigated.Method: We observed and analysed students’ reactions, engagement and performance (activity log files) during their interactive sessions with the simulation. An individual human assistant was provided along with the computer simulation and the v...