Background

As Medical Director of a major simulation center with a nationally recognized standardized patient (SP) program, my students and I were frustrated by excellent SP case portrayals without the ability to realistically simulate corresponding physical exam findings. The standard approach has been to relegate associated PE findings to a paper report or a computerized sound byte and have students simply "go through the motions of a PE" with the SP. This approach limits the ability to assess whether students notice findings and to teach students pattern recognition in the context of a clinical patient encounter. We recognized the value of realistically simulating key corresponding abnormal findings to provide students the opportunity to gain skills in recognition of abnormal physical exam findings and pattern recognition within the context of the SP encounter.

Mannequins are limited by:

• ability to simulate human to human interaction
• mechanical sound artifact
• limited sound sets
• restriction of listening areas to very small areas on the body
  

Three years of discussion with my seasoned electronic engineer, electronic component changes, and tedious development of multiple prototypes have resulted in the final selection of a cutting edge, secure, communications chip. The ventriloscope is an extremely reliable and realistic system for the wireless transmission of any sound into a realistic stethoscope.

Acknowledgements:

mp3 and SD handling routines by teuthis.com