'Virtual patient' helps train pharmacists of the future

Pharmaceutical students at Keele University in England are using a "virtual patient" to help in their training. Students interact with computer-generated characters to gain experience in effective communication and decision-making. Learners talk with the "patient" via voice recognition technology or by typing questions into a standard computer interface and the "patient" responds verbally or with a range of non-verbal gestures to indicate emotions such as pain, stress, or anxiety. At the end of the session, the "patient" gives feedback to the trainee about their performance.