Welcome to this demonstration of the PATSy Medical Rehabilitation system. PATSy is a large web-based multimedia database of clinical cases that is currently in use at more than 15 UK universities. PATSy currently covers four "domains" of of which PATSy Medical Rehabilitation is one. It is used as a resource in teaching students how to diagnose medical rehabilitation patients and serves as a repository of patient cases for researchers and clinicians. PATSy provides a learning environment in which students may practise clinical reasoning in diagnosis. It provides students with opportunities for practise on a wider range of cases than they would typically see in clinical placements, including access to rare cases. PATSy allows students to obtain pre-clinical experience and to rehearse diagnosis skills several times on the same (virtual) patient. The system also provides 'anytime, anywhere' access to training in an important area of clinical education.

This demonstration consists of linked static pages which have been taken directly from the online website (http://www.patsy.ac.uk). In the online system pages are created and linked dynamically from an underlying (MySQL) database of multimedia elements. PATSy online is implemented using Perl cgi scripts, runs under Unix and uses Apache server software.

To run this demonstration effectively you must use Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer (at least version 4). Java and Javascript must be enabled. The browser 'file helper' for audio files of type AIFF should be set to 'View with browser' (Internet Explorer on Mac), 'Play from current location' (Internet Explorer on PC) or 'Live Audio' plug-in (Netscape Navigator on Mac). To view the video clips, you will need Quicktime (Mac) or Quicktime for Windows (PC). The Quicktime player and browser plug-ins for Mac and PC are available for free download from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Please note that this static demonstration version cannot convey the richness or complexity of the live online system. However, it does allow the basic principles of PATSy to be experienced in a way that avoids the the need for accounts and passwords to be issued. PATSy online contains data and video clips of real patients and therefore there are considerations of ethics and confidentiality.

A 'guided tour' is available if you follow the 'footsteps' icons on each page. They look like this:

Also, wherever you see a button labelled 'Guided Tour Information' please click on it to reveal explanatory text. Try clicking the yellow button now.

Where you see a button labelled 'Exit Tour' you will be taken to the PATSy home page.

Now click on the footsteps below to go to the next page and be sure to click on the 'Guided Tour Information' button on each page you visit.