Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) Clinician Training Simulator
Description
The level of effort required to train clinicians, researchers, and examiners to administer and score the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5. The CAPS-5 Clinician Training Simulator comprises three online courses, available in TMS and TRAIN, that provide instruction in the administration and scoring of the CAPS-5. The courses use voice recognition, 3-D technology, and artificial intelligence to create an immersive learning experience. The courses are intended for clinicians, trainees, researchers, and examiners in VA and in the community. They use AI in the following ways: 1. In the three current CAPS-5 virtual patient courses, learners have the option to speak the prompts, with their spoken prompts transformed to text using speech recognition. 2. The learners’ prompts, whether spoken or typed, are programmatically compared to the required prompts in the CAPS-5. The system analyzes whether the prompts were delivered exactly (“verbatim”), with slight variations (“paraphrased”), or with unacceptable variations (“off-script”). 3. One of the courses analyzes learner prompts in order to trigger comments –corrections or praise -- from a virtual coach. 4. We’re currently revising one of the courses to take better advantage of sematic similarity to analyze learners' inputs. 5. In the future, we may deploy generative AI. Here’s how the vendor described it in their response to our solicitation: “This new design will also leverage a separate backend to handle AI multi-agency and retrieval augmented generation (RAG) to ensure large language models (LLMs) used will always operate as designed.” This will be a closed system that does not pull information from or input information to publicly-available platforms (e.g., GPT-4, Bard).
Detailed example
Courses in TMS and TRAIN. AI assists learners in understanding how to accurately administer and score the CAPS-5. Courses are helpful in providing clinical care but are not required, nor is it a requirement for clinicians to use the CAPS-5 with their patients.
AI / analytics pattern
Natural Language Processing: AI that processes, interprets, and shares information in human language.
Automation level / stage
a) Pre-deployment – The use case is in a development or acquisition status.
Expected benefit
Saving time and human resources that can be better deployed in patient care. Improving accuracy of diagnosis of PTSD in Veterans.
Controls / human review
ATO: Not reported; PIA: Not published