Learning has to be contextual

We remember what we learn better when it is meaningful. Memorisation typically leads to short-term remembering and limited application. So, help yourself with context. For example, create a context for yourself, know why you are learning what you are learning now. For example, ask the Bot to start with providing you with an elaborate patient case.

I want to learn about pneumonia, but I want to do this in the context of a patient case. Provide me with an elaborate patient case which I can then use for my study.

The bot may then provide you with a case like this:

Patient Profile:

Name: John Smith: Age: 68 years; Gender: Male; Occupation: Retired teacher; Residence: Urban area, lives alone

Medical History:

Hypertension controlled with an ACE inhibitor

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus managed with Metformin

Mild COPD due to a history of smoking (20 pack-years, quit 5 years ago)

No known drug allergies

Influenza vaccine received yearly, no pneumococcal vaccination

Presenting Complaint:

John presents to the emergency department with a 5-day history of fever, productive cough with yellowish sputum, and worsening shortness of breath. He felt fatigued and noticed a decrease in appetite. He has also experienced pleuritic chest pain, localised to the right side of his chest, exacerbated by deep breaths.

Physical Examination:

Vital Signs: Temperature 38.7°C, Heart Rate 110 bpm, Respiratory Rate 24 breaths per minute, Blood Pressure 130/80 mmHg, Oxygen Saturation 89% on room air.

General: Appears tired and in mild respiratory distress.

Respiratory: Dullness on percussion over the right lower lobe, decreased breath sounds, and inspiratory crackles on auscultation.

Cardiovascular and Abdominal exams are unremarkable.

Laboratory Investigations:

Complete Blood Count: WBC 15,000/mm³ with left shift

CRP and ESR: Elevated

Blood Glucose: 13 mmol/L (elevated given his baseline readings)

Arterial Blood Gas: pH 7.30, PaCO2 50 mmHg, PaO2 60 mmHg on room air (suggestive of respiratory acidosis with hypoxemia)

Imaging:

Chest X-Ray: Right lower lobe consolidation with an air bronchogram.

Diagnosis: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), likely involving the right lower lobe, with suspicion of bacterial aetiology given the productive cough and leucocytosis.

Management Plan:

Oxygen supplementation to maintain SpO2 >92%

Empiric antibiotic therapy with oral Amoxicillin-Clavulanate, considering his COPD history

Close monitoring of blood glucose levels and adjustment of diabetic medications

Incentive spirometry and physiotherapy consultations to improve lung function

Education on the importance of pneumococcal vaccination

Follow-Up:

John is advised to return for a follow-up appointment in 3 days or sooner if his symptoms worsen. His response to antibiotic treatment and overall recovery will be assessed, and further management will be adjusted accordingly.

Now explore the case with your own follow up questions or use the magic wand button to help you with that. These questions will then help you to thoroughly understand what you wanted or needed to learn (in this case pneumonia). You can always ask for more cases if you want to learn more.  So, you can build your own case-based or problem-based learning.

But you can do so much more. For example, seek help in applying what you learn in concrete situations. The question mark button and the two smiley+ buttons help you to challenge your practical application and deep understanding. Use those to assist you in exploring the topic (in this example, pneumonia) as widely and deeply as you want.

But you can turn it around and use experiences from your study or workplace as the starting case and use the Bot to help you understand and increase your knowledge and understanding.

REMEMBER you ALWAYS have to keep confidential patient data confidential.

Finally, you may copy paste the whole conversation into your notes documents. You can also, in addition, write your own summaries of what you have learned and enter them into this chat again and ask the Bot for feedback:

This is my summary of the whole conversation: do you have any tips for additions or better ways of organising my notes?

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