International. Milestone Systems has provided the supporting technology for a new integrated technology learning system called MedVu: a revolutionary video capture system for medical students enrolled at St Andrews University Medical School.
MedVu allows St Andrews medical students to record, delete, share, mark and submit video record of fundamental medical practices in the areas of clinical and communicative skills. This registration is part of the portfolio that all medical students in the United Kingdom must organize during their seven years of training to become practicing physicians. The school's graduate researchers are also employing MedVu to collect and analyze supporting evidence for major medical research projects.
MedVu is based on a tailor-made integration of Milestone's XProtect® Enterprise open platform IP VMS, XProtect® Transact and XProtect® Smart Client. King Communications, Milestone's Certified Partner, worked closely with Milestone's professional services team to carry out adaptations of both the front-end and data-end user interaction systems.
The system monitors and records up to 46 practical tests of clinical skills performed in different cubicles simultaneously. All cubicles are monitored by axis Communications' standard or high-definition network PTZ video cameras. Their images are displayed on two large monitors located in the school's technical room, from where instructions can be transmitted through individual speakers installed in each of the cubicles. All cubicles are equipped with built-in microphones for simultaneous audio and video recording.
The user interaction system created using Milestone's XProtect Smart Client is very easy to use: students can set up the cubicle's PTZ camera in the necessary location, enter their MedVu username and password, start and stop recording – all via a simple touchscreen located above the head of the stretcher. This allows students to perform "guided study" tasks on their own time, without the need for a teacher or technician to be present. Students can view and select the recorded clips, choose the best video clip, and place it in their evidence portfolio.
There are also cameras installed in six interview rooms, equipped as doctors' offices. These are used to help medical students acquire fundamental communication skills such as creating a good therapeutic relationship, collecting information from medical history and specific information about symptoms with the help of actors who act as patients. The video record that MedVu keeps about these sessions is evaluated in the classroom with classmates and teachers as part of the training process.
Julie Struthers, Advisor in Learning Technology at St Andrews University School of Medicine, said: "MedVu enables our students to build and consolidate a comprehensive video portfolio that provides evidence on their practical capabilities in essential clinical and communicative skills. Students can mark sections of the video, pointing out successful experiences and areas that need to be improved in the future. Currently, MedVu is integrated with Galen, our curriculum management system."
King Communications & Security Ltd is Milestone's certified platinum partner in charge of installing the system. It was they who developed the high-security web portal that allows students to view and collect their videos. Milestone's professional services team created a batch export process that makes it possible to publish the videos to the web portal one hour after they are recorded. Only enrolled students have access to MedVu.
Martyn King, Managing Director of King Communications, concludes: "We have designed and developed a unique integrated solution from the ground up, in collaboration with Milestone, coupled with the university's active directory and its Galen curriculum management system database. The MedVu system demonstrates that the benefits of Milestone's XProtec open platform VMS go far beyond the traditional security applications for which it was originally designed."
