Objective: This pilot study evaluated the utility of branched-narrative virtual patients in an interprofessional education series for psychiatry residents.
Methods: Third-year psychiatry residents attended four interprofessional education advanced psychopharmacology sessions that involved completion of a branched-narrative virtual patient and a debriefing session with a psychiatric pharmacist. Pre- and post-assessments analyzed resident learning and were administered around each virtual patient. Simulation 4 served as a comprehensive review. The primary outcome was differences in pre- and post-assessment scores. Secondary outcomes included resident satisfaction with the virtual patient format and psychiatric pharmacist involvement.
Results: Post-test scores for simulations 1, 2, and 3 demonstrated significant improvement (p < 0.05) from pre-test scores. Scores for simulation 4 did not retain significance. Resident satisfaction with the branched-narrative virtual patient format and psychiatric pharmacist involvement was high throughout the series (100 %; n = 18).
Conclusions: Although there are important methodological limitations to this study including a small sample size and absence of a comparator group, this pilot study supports the use of branched-narrative virtual patients in an interprofessional education series for advanced learners.
Keywords: Computer simulation; Graduate medical education; Interprofessional education; Psychiatry/education.