Diagnosing Collaboratively: A Theoretical Model and a Simulation-Based Learning Environment
Anika Radkowitsch, Michael Sailer, Martin R. Fischer, Ralf Schmidmaier, Frank Fischer
Abstract
Abstract In their daily practice, physicians with different professional backgrounds often diagnose a patient’s problem collaboratively. In those situations, physicians not only need to be able to diagnose individually, but also need additional collaborative competences such as information sharing and negotiation skills (Liu et al., 2015), which can influence the quality of the diagnostic outcome (Tschan et al., 2009). We introduce the CDR model, a process model for collaborative diagnostic reasoning processes by diagnosticians with different knowledge backgrounds. Building on this model, we develop a simulation in order to assess and facilitate collaborative diagnostic competences among advanced medical students. In the document-based simulation, learners sequentially diagnose five patients by inspecting a health record for symptoms. Then, learners request a radiological diagnostic procedure from a simulated radiologist. By interacting with the simulated radiologist, the learners elicit more evidence for their hypotheses. Finally, learners are asked to integrate all information and suggest a final diagnosis.