Nastaran Ghotbi

Tehran University of Medical Sciences, School of Rehabilitation, Iran

Abstract Title: A Novel Mobile Application for Simulation-Based Clinical Education in Physiotherapy

Biography: Nastaran Ghotbi is a professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. She has published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus. Her scholarly work has contributed to the advancement of physiotherapy education. In recognition of her innovative contribution, she recently received a national award for the design and development of novel educational products. One of her academic interests is the improvement of educational methods and integrating new technologies into rehabilitation training.

Research Interest: Neurology clinical education, particularly in inpatient settings, is highly dependent on direct student exposure to real patients, which was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although simulation-based education has become increasingly common in medical training, until recently, there was no dedicated simulation tool for neurologic clinical education in physiotherapy. To address this gap, a novel three-dimensional mobile application has been developed. The application consists of three main sections: medical record review, clinical case scenarios, and communication skills training. It includes four neurological case scenarios—stroke, multiple sclerosis, Guillain–Barré syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease—designed using real patient medical records combined with standard textbook content. All educational materials were reviewed and approved by physiotherapy faculty members. The first section provides comprehensive patient information, including disease history, mental status, cranial nerve assessment, and other relevant medical examinations. The second section allows students to perform neurological physiotherapy assessments, such as upper and lower limb muscle strength testing, as well as various sensory and balance assessments. This section is enhanced with pop-up texts and audio guidance; in addition, students receive immediate feedback, enabling real-time error correction. The third section focuses on communication skills and includes two short instructional videos demonstrating appropriate interaction with nursing staff. The application usability has been evaluated, and it has been used for four years, and has received positive feedback. Overall, this mobile-based simulator appears to enhance clinical education by allowing repeated practice in a safe, realistic inpatient environment, thereby improving students’ confidence, clinical competence, and readiness for real hospital settings.