Developers Recognize Body Interact Experience of ZSMU

More than 5,500 students, 2,600 interns and 2,200 doctors of ZSMU have mastered the Body Interact Virtual Patient, using 1,000 accounts and 70 clinical scenarios.

These figures surprised even the manufacturers of this leading technology. On their initiative, a telebridge was held between the developers from Portugal and representatives of our university. During this event, ZSMU presented its own experience of using the platform at the undergraduate and postgraduate stages. They recalled the first steps that were started back in 2019 and emphasized the exclusive importance of this form of education during quarantine and wartime.

The remote teleconference was attended by: Professor Mykhailo Kolesnyk Doctor of Medical Sciences, certified echocardiography expert of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, ambassador of Ukraine to the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, Professor of the Department of Family Medicine, Therapy, Cardiology and Neurology; Associate Professor Zhanna Ragrina, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Dean of the International Faculty No. 1; Kateryna Romanova, Head of the Interdepartmental Training Center. They shared their experience of working with the Body Interact program.

With the help of the Body Interact, the possibility of virtual patients' management in online mode and remote format has been introduced into the educational process of senior year students at the university.

Professor Mykhailo Kolesnyk noted that the unique Body Interact technology has been an integral component of the training of students and medical interns who are polishing their professional level at the Faculty of Postgraduate Education of Zaporizhzhia State Medical University for several years now and shared his personal observations of the perception of this technology by students. The program is also effectively used during master classes and thematic improvement courses for practicing doctors.

The Virtual Patient program is used as a separate station when taking the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) by graduates and a separate station for interns when taking the State Attestation, it usually completely fulfills the function of the Standardized Patient.

Lecturers are successfully mastering the latest technology as well. This year, certified training was provided to 310 lectures of ZSMU clinical departments with simulation training on "Application and Possibilities of the Body Interact Program in the Educational Process". Educational video content has been created for students, intern doctors and trainees of continuous professional development, which is posted on the ZSMU YouTube channel.

The conversation of both sides of the telebridge participants turned out to be interesting and constructive. Summarizing, representatives of the Body Interact program stated that the Zaporizhzhia State Medical University is one of the leading and most powerful users of this technology not only in Ukraine, but also in the world. They discussed ways to further improve the technology and test new clinical scenarios.

8 February 2023