SBIR Phase II: Cloud-based Simulated Patients for Rapid Competency Development in Medical Education

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award proposes to enhance the technical understanding of how to create rich, high-performance, entirely cloud-based applications that are accessed anytime, anywhere on any device. The layered Web application architecture eliminates the need for a local application or proprietary browser plug-ins like Java or Flash. The framework will provide complex interface components and powerful functionality in interface composition, styling, dynamic behavior and data manipulation. Benefits include: 1) Smooth, seamless local application-like user experience independent of user platform, 2) Lower support costs as all business logic is deployed in the cloud, 3) Improved security as the server validates all actions so if client data is tampered with, the server can detect it and react accordingly, 4) Simpler yet more powerful application programming model, closer to GUI software development than traditional Web development, 5) Ability to deliver complex computation and storage-intensive functionality to mobile platforms, and 6) Integration of real-time collaboration without local and proprietary installation requirements. The broader/commercial impact of the simulated patient service is driven by enabling medical educators to accelerate development of students' clinical competencies in an affordable and scalable manner, helping to address the widely anticipated shortage of qualified U.S. providers driven by the aging of the Baby Boomers and an expected 15% increase in demand for healthcare services due to coverage of the previously uninsured. Shortages in developing countries are even greater. The service will also help ensure the quality of medical education and lower the cost of healthcare as mastery of critical diagnostic reasoning is the basis for efficient delivery of care and is required for optimal outcomes, cost control and reduction of hospital readmissions. If used in testing, certification, continuing medical education, and protocol adherence, it could ensure the competency of recruits, help busy clinicians keep up with advances in medical knowledge, and identify those in need of additional or remedial training.