Content area
Abstract
Objectives. To design an efficient tool for managing student documentation and instructor feedback when tracking simulated patient care activities and educational outcomes. Design. An Internet-based medical chart (IMC) was developed for documentation of simulated patient care follow-up activities that used live actors as patients. The chart included student and simulated-provider entries, controlled students' access to information, and facilitated instructors' provision of feedback. All entries were archived in a server-side database for further performance assessment. Assessment. Analysis of students' performance identified challenging areas, including incomplete documentation of therapeutic goals and specific follow-up laboratory test recommendations. The system did facilitate delivery of effective feedback, with only 13.6% of students repeating previous errors by semester's end. Conclusion. The IMC system provided a unique and powerful tool for developing and managing simulated patient care follow-up activities in a manner not previously attempted with classic paper-based or electronic-based documentation. Future work will include improving teaching in the identified challenging areas, continuing analysis of educational outcomes, and implementing the system in other courses. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]