Kent and Medway Medical School GP education team innovating with virtual student placements
‘Smart Glasses’, worn by the GP, contain cameras that stream the GP’s perspective live to the students, providing a clinician’s-eye-view of the procedure.
The Virtual Clinical Experience (VCE™) software is designed to facilitate remote learning in healthcare environments. VCE combines the use of medical devices and data with an online platform designed for clinical training.
VCE streams live footage of clinical environments, such as GP consultations, to students. Devices used include smart glasses, a digital stethoscope that allows them to hear the patient’s heartbeat, and an otoscope which streams a clear image of the inside of the ear.
Christopher Wilcox, GP at Kingswood Surgery, testing out the VCE software
Additionally, the software supports multi-person chat, allowing direct interaction between students and patients. Several surgeries are participating in this initiative, including Park Surgery in Herne Bay, High Parks Medical Practice in Medway, and Kingswood Surgery in Tunbridge Wells.
Teaching sessions using VCE are already underway and proving to be an innovative and engaging tool for student learning, as well as supporting the need for increased capacity within student placements.