Dr. Iñaki Elío Pascual, professor and researcher at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO), which belongs to the network of universities with which the Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) collaborates, participated on June 4 and 5 in the 5th Training Conference for Faculty in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, held at the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid.
The professor participated in a roundtable discussion on the application of artificial intelligence in the field of nutrition. During his presentation, Elío delivered the paper “Application of Chatbots with Virtual Patients in Clinical Training for the Bachelor’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics: The Experience of the E+DIETing_LAB and MAHINE Projects,” in which he highlighted various initiatives developed by UNEATLANTICO researchers to incorporate digital clinical simulation tools into university education.
The UNEATLANTICO professor explained how E+DIETing_LAB works, a digital laboratory that allows students to interact with virtual patients in simulated clinical scenarios. Through interactive cases implemented in several languages and supported by natural language processing technologies, students can practice clinical communication, asking questions, organizing information, and using terminology specific to nutritional diagnosis.
He also presented the progress of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) ‘Simulation-based training and digital technologies combined with a service-learning approach for experiential and reflective learning in nutrition and dietetic education’ (MAHINE), funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which expands this line of work by developing methodologies based on simulation, digital technologies, and reflective learning in nutrition education. Both projects, led by UNEATLANTICO and supported by FUNIBER, reflect the commitment of both institutions to teaching innovation and the incorporation of active methodologies that bring students closer to real situations in clinical practice.
During the session, Elío emphasized that virtual patients serve as a complementary tool for training interview skills, clinical reasoning, decision-making, and reflection on one’s own performance.
“Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”