Experience with the Internet release of AIDA v4.0--http://www.diabetic.org.uk.aida.htm--an interactive educational diabetes simulator.

AIDA v4.0 is a freeware computer program that permits the interactive simulation of plasma insulin and blood glucose profiles for demonstration and teaching purposes. It has been made freely available, without charge, on the World Wide Web as a noncommercial contribution to continuing diabetes education. Since its Internet launch in 1996 over 23,000 people have visited the AIDA Web site (http://www.diabetic.org.uk/aida.htm) and over 7,750 copies of the program have been downloaded gratis. This report overviews the Internet release of AIDA v4.0 and provides examples of the simulator in operation. The concept of a "virtual diabetic patient" is introduced. This provides an electronic representation of a patient with diabetes that can be used for self-learning/teaching/demonstration purposes.