Framework 5 EU Project focussing on the training of Surgeons in Arthroscopy; EC-project VOEU ("Virtual Orthopaedic European University", IST-1999-13079).
The virtual university provides tools for clinicians supporting the learning of information and clinical skills. The web services are xml based and so the view one sees is dependent upon the userââ¬â¢s personal profile. This takes into consideration the training grade of the individual, their location and the deanery responsible for providing their training. The principle concept is to provide individuals with their specified learning material. It is structured as essential, important, further reading, based upon their level of knowledge, state of preparation for examinations, attendance at specific courses, monitoring of clinical posts etc. New material from audits and trials can be integrated seamlessly.
The workload of individuals is negotiated and agreed as part of structured learning agreements that are managed on-line. It is tied in automatically to the clinical post, mapping user experience to the syllabus and the curriculum. The system has successfully undergone formal usability testing by clinicians having been designed for surgery but is generic and can be adopted by all medical disciplines and is now ready for implementation and continued development with dedicated partners, adapting the technologies to the specific needs of user groups.