A new Learning Destination debuting at ACC.15, the Sim Center (Expo Hall, #3932), features a highly interactive, virtual training experience through Body Interact ^TM, a cloud-based training platform. Throughout ACC.15, attendees can test their knowledge through interaction with a virtual patient during eight clinical case presentations. ACC spoke with Pedro Pinto, CEO of Take The Wind, about this ground-breaking simulation technology.

Why is Body Interact^TM a natural fit for cardiology?
The first clinical area developed and delivered by Body Interact™ was indeed cardiology, where we found well-established clinical guidelines and many evidence-based studies available. Nevertheless, we found limitations inherent in the evidence: clinicians must still apply critical thinking and reason through the best choices for an individual patient. One missing dimension in conventional training is the acceleration of critical thinking to improve key decisions under duress. That’s where Body Interact™ comes in.

How do you see the role of 3D training in cardiology?
It is clear that competence is acquired primarily through experiential learning. In this sense, interactive, life-like simulation technology, particularly based on interactive, 3D realistic learning environments, enables an effective shift from a medical education curriculum focused mainly on structure and process to one concerned mainly with the development and measurement of competency-based performance.

How does Body Interact^TM advance medical simulation?
Body Interact™ combines clinical simulation with problem-based learning and game-design. Its immersive, dynamic learning environment encourages — even demands — critical, action-based learning. This way, we are fostering competence at making clinical diagnoses, retaining knowledge and integrating basic science concepts and proven medical protocols into clinical problems. This approach also improves self-directed and collaborative learning behaviors, and team building.

How does this technology promote collaboration, which is integral to the future practice of cardiology?
Body Interact™ enables learning through experience; it helps practitioners perform in the face of real-world scenarios and patient-centric challenges. Our experience with thousands of learners shows that engaging multidisciplinary, collaborative teams in creative problem solving leads to self-reflective, collegial dialogue about professional practice and better interpersonal teamwork and decision-making skills.

How will the cases presented by Body Interact^TM at ACC.15 rely on clinical evidence?
Our clinical cases rely on evidence and well-established guidelines. Some cases have a basic or intermediate difficulty level, others have an extreme complexity to be executed under time pressure and a rapidly changing information load. Based on a 3D virtual interactive patient with accurate and realistic details, the technology mimics the visual-spatial and real-time characteristics of the patient’s health condition.

The technology also provides realistic feedback, and it is able to compile and assess the performance. In this environment, we can learn the facts and underline the “hows” and “whys” based on the users interactions, while tracking their analytics and behaviors through each simulation. We also provide complete case-by-case performance debriefings and visual dashboards to proctors that reflect performance metrics of the learner. This understanding of deeper, more abstract principles prepares cardiologists to perform consistently and effectively, even in new and unexpected situations.

Stop by the Sim Center (Expo Hall, #3932) to test your skills and knowledge!

Keywords: Cooperative Behavior, Curriculum, Education, Medical, Learning, Problem-Based Learning, Professional Practice

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