Maryland virtual patient: a knowledge-based, language-enabled simulation and training system

Maryland Virtual Patient (MVP) is system aimed at training medical personnel in certain aspects of clinical medicine. The user plays the role of attending physician and is tasked with diagnosing and treating virtual patients (VPs), with or without the help of a virtual tutor. Each VP is composed of both a realistically functioning physiological side and a reasoning - and language-enabled cognitive side. The former permits the VP to undergo the physiological states and changes associated with diseases, their treatments, and even unexpected external stimuli, such as clinically counterindicated interventions. The latter permits the VP to consciously experience and reason about its disease state, make decisions about its lifestyle and medical care, and discuss all of these with its attending physician (the user). This paper provides a brief overview of core aspects of MVP.