SwedenEducation2026 – ongoingKarolinska Institutet
SARI robot patients and automated feedback in medical education
Karolinska used AI robot patients in medical teaching and reported improvements after automated feedback
Problem
Medical students had limited opportunities to practise clinical reasoning with real patients. Earlier computer-based simulations offered restricted interaction.
Approach
Researchers developed SARI, combining a social robot with language models to simulate patient conversations. The robot responded through speech and changing facial expressions. Karolinska used it in practical training for sixth-semester medical students, with rheumatology cases and automated feedback.
Results
No published figures
Takeaway
The institute reported better clinical reasoning and communication in subsequent formative assessments. It did not give a numerical effect size in its announcement.
Categories
- Industry
- Education
- Business function
- Production and quality
- Innovation type
- Product and service innovationProcess innovation
- Adoption
- Built in-house
- Goal
- Quality and risk
- Evidence
- Company's own claim
Sources
Source summaries
The institute described SARI's use in its medical programme and evaluations comparing it with computer-based simulations. It reported measurable improvements after AI-generated feedback, without publishing the size of those improvements.
Full details are in the original sources.
