31.10.2024Project “Virtual Patients: A Shared Decision-Making Training Module” secures UZH Teaching Fund Support

Led by Nikola Biller-Andorno, Andrea Radvanszky, and Giovanni Spitale, the «Virtuelle Patient/innen: ein Shared Decision-Making-Trainingsmodul» project was successfully submitted to the University of Zurich Teaching Fund (open innovation program) to create interactive virtual patient simulations.
Funding has been approved, with the project set to begin in early 2025, running for two years. Key collaborators include Micha Gundelfinger from UZH’s Medical Faculty Curriculum Development and Balthasar Eugster from the Educational Development Team.

The team will develop two realistic virtual patient exercises based on DIPEx International interview data for use in UZH’s bachelor’s and master’s medical programs. The first exercise will focus on communication techniques, while the second will teach students to gather information effectively, prioritizing patient needs.

These exercises will be designed for flexible blended learning formats, allowing students to complete them independently. This is particularly valuable for the Medical Faculty, where increasing student numbers and limited patient contact present challenges.

The project stands out both for its innovative content and technical approach. Utilizing large language models (LLMs) to develop virtual patient simulations, the project aims to offer a dynamic and interactive learning experience.