Medical students' attitudes towards the use of virtual patients

An increasing number of virtual patients (VPs) are being used in the classroom, which raises questions about how to implement VPs to improve students' satisfaction and enhance their learning. This study developed and validated a scale that measures acceptability and attitudes of medical students towards the use of the VP education tool in the classroom. This mixed method study first explored attitudes with 11 students in two focus groups. Later on, eight experts performed item reduction and transformation through three rounds of the Delphi-study method, and an initial version of the scale [virtual patient integration rating scale (VPIRS)] was developed. The scale was administered among 138 medical students to determine its reliability. A total of 88 medical students responded to the final version of the VPIRS. Principal component analysis was performed in order to determine questionnaire domains. The final, validated scale contains 25 items in four domains, with a reliability of 0.864. The identified domains are as follows: (1) acquiring and maintaining knowledge, (2) facilitation of learning, (3) inauthentic learning and (4) disadvantages of learning. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a VP rating scale has been developed. VPIRS allows for targeted engagement with students regarding learning and evaluation with VPs, thereby providing opportunities for student-centred teaching.