Integrated Illness Scripts

Integrated Illness Scripts are designed specifically to promote cognitive integration and provide a framework for learners to link basic science and clinical knowledge.

In collaboration with:

Making Connections for Deeper Understanding & Better Clinical Decisions

Bringing together clinical features, epidemiology, and basic science causal mechanisms and core concepts, Integrated Illness Scripts provide a new mental model for advancing cognitive integration in learners and unpacking encapsulated expertise from faculty. This new framework is designed to enable more effective and efficient clinical decision-making.

Available for Aquifer Curricular Partners & Individual Subscribers

Building on the traditional illness script format, Integrated Illness Scripts (IIS) embed basic science core concepts and causal mechanisms within each clinical feature and display the connections visually through Mechanism of Disease Maps.

For each condition, Integrated Illness Scripts include:

Overview – Epidemiology – Clinical Features (up to 6) – Implications for Further Work Up – Implications for Management – Mechanism of Disease Maps

Epidemiology

This section provides the public health context of the condition, covering gender, peak incidence, risk factors, and predisposing conditions related to this diagnosis.

Clinical Features

clinical-features-IIS-1000
For the given diagnosis, the Integrated Illness Script includes six prototypical clinical features seen commonly in patients with this condition.

Within each clinical feature, the Integrated Illness Script describes the underlying basic science causal mechanisms that explain why a patient with that diagnosis displays that clinical finding.

Mechanism of Disease Maps

Mechanism of Disease Maps trace the steps of pathophysiologic mechanisms from the underlying causes of disease to the observable and measurable clinical signs and symptoms.

Providing a visual representation of the relationship between the “original insult”, key findings, clinical features, and the basic science mechanisms, MOD Maps enable students to see and integrate a more holistic view of the basic science knowledge relevant to the given condition.

Implications for Management & Further Work Up

These sections provide students an opportunity to reflect and take notes on how this knowledge will influence their clinical practice in diagnosing and treating a patient with this condition. Responses to these sections are visible in reports for both students and faculty.