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Elsevier
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Reflecting Diversity Through Shadow Health’s® Virtual Patient Population

Shadow Health’s patented Conversation Engine guarantees students practice authentic conversations with patients with diverse representation that may not be seen in the clinical setting.

  • More than 80 realistic Digital Standardized Patients™

  • A wide range of simulation characters, or Digital Standardized Patients™, allow students to practice clinical skills in nursing disciplines from Fundamentals to Advanced Primary Care.

  • Patients are more than just data points — they embody real stories and experiences, representing a broad spectrum of medical conditions, ages, races, ethnicities, disabilities, religions, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Shadow Health screenshot

DEI in Shadow Health

Research indicates that change is necessary for healthcare to eliminate bias, reduce health disparities, and consider the impact of social determinants of health for patient care (Carter, 2020).

While preceptors can guide students on social context or patient interaction considerations, screen-based simulations guarantee students are able to practice interacting with virtual human beings from different backgrounds and engaging in thoughtful, empathetic communication.

Because of the patented natural language Conversation Engine within Shadow Health’s Digital Clinical Experiences™ (DCEs), students can practice authentic conversations with patients with diverse representation that students may not see in the clinical setting.

Develop patient-specific, culturally competent care skills through conversation

Daanis LaFontaine

Daanis is in labor with her son Zachary. Students will learn about Daanis’s birth plan preferences and transcultural considerations such as allowing additional family members into the room, and honoring her request to take the placenta home.

Daanis LaFontaine

Tanner Bailey

Tanner, a director at a queer theatre company, appears in multiple simulations in which students practice providing trans-affirmative care and develop an understanding of the difficulties trans people face on a daily basis due to unjust bias.

Tanner Bailey

Xavier Daniels

Xavier last saw a provider 3.5 years ago, at which point he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Xavier felt this provider was rude and dismissive – potentially due to his race. Students practice building trust and rapport with Xavier as new primary care providers.

Xavier Daniels

Cross-functional, collaborative development process

A large team of collaborators creates screen-based simulation offerings—including a cross-functional team of Nurse Educators, Developers, Artists, Technical Sound Designers, Learning Designers, Narrative Designers, Product Managers, and Scrum Managers.

The team prioritizes incorporating optimal learning opportunities for students via realistic conversation and empathy in simulated interactions, making patients virtual human beings who breathe, blink, and have rich and complex histories.

Additionally, Shadow Health partners with external experts and agencies to ensure diverse personas are presented respectfully.

Contributions to and revisions of this piece were done in part with Watson Nelson Consulting, a partner with Shadow Health to ensure matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion are accurately represented with simulation characters. Learn more about Watson Nelson Consulting opens in new tab/window.