Virtual Standardized Patient as a Training Tool for Mild TBI Screening

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has recognized Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as a priority condition for healthcare services. However, diagnosis rates of TBI in the VA TBI screening tool (VATBIST) vary quite widely across the Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Factors that make this diagnostic decision difficult include the reliance on patient self-report, the symptom overlap of mild TBI with other conditions (especially behavioral health and pain), and the need for nuanced diagnostic understanding by the clinician. With the objective of standardizing the TBI screening process, a Virtual Standardized Patient (VSP) portraying an OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) veteran with mild TBI was proposed as a training tool. This paper presents the design and development of the VSP and describes the results from the preliminary study conducted to validate the usability of a VSP for training within this context.