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Educators have long recognized that learning is enhanced and retention improves when the educational material is relevant and engaging and includes interaction. Building on the increasing capacity of the online environment, we are pleased to launch this week a new series of Interactive Medical Cases at NEJM.org.

The interactive cases are an extension of the Clinical Problem-Solving cases that we publish each month. These articles present clinical cases that are diagnostic puzzles. In the articles published in print, an expert clinician discussant responds to sequential clinical information as a case unfolds, eventually reaching a diagnosis. The interactive cases are designed to let the reader determine the diagnostic and treatment plans. The format recapitulates a clinical encounter by presenting the patient's history with results of the physical examination and laboratory and radiographic tests.

Multiple-choice questions, interspersed throughout each interactive case, address both differential diagnosis and management. After a choice is made, immediate feedback is provided to indicate why the selected response is optimal or is likely to be unhelpful. At the conclusion of each case, users are able to gauge their performance relative to that of their peers.

The interactive cases include illustrative videos and graphics that are closely linked with the questions and learning objectives. These components are intended to illustrate disease pathophysiology as well as diagnostic and therapeutic information. Each case presents clinical problems that reinforce the process of thoughtful clinical decision making and illustrates the links between pathophysiology and both diagnostic testing and therapeutics.

To initiate the series, the Journal has partnered with the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The online interactive features undergo the same rigorous process of peer review that is applied to Journal articles. The related Clinical Problem-Solving article will be published in print some weeks after the interactive case appears online.

Initially, access to the cases will be free to all; subscribers can obtain up to two AMA PRA Category 1 Credits for completing each case. We look forward to receiving your feedback at educationalservices{at}nejm.org as we continue to develop this online learning tool.

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Source Information

From the Hospitalist Service (J.J.R.) and the Department of Medicine (J.L.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston.

PDF PDA Full Text Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear Related Article by Vaishnava, P. PubMed Citation

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