How to play
Every decision changes the case.
NextStep follows one patient from presentation to outcome. At each step you answer a single question — what is the next best step? — and the case reacts.
- 1
Read the case
A patient arrives. The central node holds the presentation; the status panel shows their live vitals and stability.
- 2
Choose the next step
Options radiate around the active node. Pick the one you'd do next — imaging, a drug, a procedure, a consult, or disposition.
- 3
See the consequence
Every choice is a real branch. The patient's state updates and the path grows outward from your decision.
- 4
Reach an outcome
Keep going until the case resolves. Then review your pathway against the ideal one, with a score and debrief.
Reading the branches
Options never reveal their quality up front. After you choose, the branch takes on a colour so you can trace exactly where a case turned.
- OptimalThe guideline-concordant next step.
- ReasonableDefensible, if not the single best move.
- DelayedSound eventually, but it costs time.
- HarmfulCauses a complication you must then manage.
- ContraindicatedDrives an irreversible deterioration.
How you're scored
Your result blends four dimensions into a score out of 100. A debrief then compares your route with the ideal pathway and explains each decision.
NextStep is fictional teaching material for medical education only. It is not clinical decision support and does not replace professional judgment or local guidelines.