We have developed Virtual Interactive Case (VIC) software for creating simulations of patient encounters in clinics. These cases allow the user to take the patient's history, conduct a functional assessment and physical exam, order appropriate laboratory tests, review diagnostic images and consult with specialists in gathering the information to arrive at a diagnosis that accounts for the presenting complaint. After selecting the diagnosis and treatment, the program provides a debriefing, listing the actions taken that were essential, the actions that were inappropriate, and actions that were done in an incorrect order. A score is provided reflecting their performance, along with the time and cost incurred in arriving at the diagnosis. Their score, time and cost are compared to that of an experienced clinician.

The VIC Player is a Flash application, with cases stored as an XML file on a user's hard drive, eliminating the requirement for a database or Internet connection for editing and playing cases. VIC cases can be played on a computer or placed on a web server for access over the Internet. The cases can include multimedia (images, sounds and video) in the results of actions taken by the user. The VIC Editor also allows rapid creation of cases by modifying a template case, and by dragging and dropping actions from other cases. VIC cases can also be used for student evaluation by activating a log tracking users' actions and their debriefing and score.

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