Video Game Can Help Train Medical Students To Make Effective

A specially designed video game can help train medical students to make
effective home visits to older patients, according to a study presented
on May 4 here at the American Geriatrics Society's (AGS) 2007 Annual
Scientific Meeting. Home visits are an important part of the care of
older people.



"Although most health professionals perform home visits, there is not a
structured method to perform them," report Gustavo Duque, MD, PhD, and
colleagues at McGill University who conducted the study. "In addition,
in-training health professionals' exposure to home visits is limited
due to logistical reasons."



To address this, the researchers devised a 3-D virtual reality video
game, RiskDom-Geriatrics. The game, designed to train medical students
to make effective home visits, simulated a patient's home, and, among
other things, allowed players to explore and evaluate the home for
hazards that could lead to falls and other injuries.



"This is an innovative use of "edutainment" in medical education,
which, in fact, means learning while having fun," said Dr. Duque.



The researchers' preliminary data found that medical students, who were
evaluated before and after playing and had to play against time and
distractions, showed improvements in their understanding of how to make
an effective home visit.