Learning how to make shared decisions with virtual patients

A medical student talking to a virtual patient (photo: Anne Vos) - Patients want to have a say in their medical treatment, especially when it will have a major impact on their life. Research shows that a shared decision-making process does indeed have positive effects. But how can a doctor learn how to approach this properly? The current training lacks sufficient opportunities to practise with patients. A virtual patient could offer a solution. Professor of Health Communication Julia van Weert of the University of Amsterdam, together with colleagues from her research group, Amsterdam UMC and Delft University of Technology, tested the use of a virtual patient when training medical students. Could a virtual patient help to improve students' communication skills, giving them a more effective way to learn how to make care-related decisions together with the patient? Van Weert describes the results of the pilot as promising. Shared decision-making has a positive effect, but practising together was difficult .