Virtual Rounds: simulation-based education in procedural medicine

Shaffer, D. W., Meglan, D., Ferrell, M., & Dawson, S. (1999). Virtual Rounds: simulation-based education in procedural medicine. In H. Pien (Ed.), Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 3712: Battlefield Biomedical Technologies. http://epistemicgames.org/cv/papers/VirtualRounds99.pdf

Computer-based simulation is a goal for training physicians in specialties where traditional training puts patients at risk. Intuitively, interactive simulation of anatomy, pathology, and therapeutic actions should lead to shortening of the learning curve for novice or inexperienced physicians. Effective transfer of knowledge acquired in simulators must be shown for such devices to be widely accepted in the medical community. We have developed an Interventional Cardiology Training Simulator which incorporates real-time graphic interactivity coupled with haptic response, and an embedded curriculum permitting rehearsal, hypertext links, personal archiving and instructor review and testing capabilities. This linking of purely technical simulation with educational content creates a more robust educational purpose for procedural simulators.