This learning software created by the Swiss Tropical Institute (Project leader Prof. Niklaus Weiss, former Deputy-Director) allows beginners to gain experience in diagnosing the most important helminth and protozoan diseases of humans. For this purpose, one can gain basic knowledge through short overviews of parasites, diseases, diagnostic methods and strategies. Even more important, one can train diagnostic capabilities using a virtual microscope. The course leads the student from basic training to more complicated diagnostic exercises. The purpose of this learning program is to facilitate a first approach to Diagnostic Medical Parasitology. This software can not replace working with a real microscope or consulting diagnostic textbooks and atlases.

The learning program offers the opportunity for active learning by solving diagnostic exercises using a virtual microscope and through quizzes to evaluate the users knowledge about diagnosis.

The use of this learning software is not restricted to individuals. It could also complement introductory lectures on the topic, especially in areas where the availability of microscopes is limited.

The following sequence for this learning program is suggested as optimal for the uninitiated user and also shows the didactic design. Users with basic knowledge can of course start directly with the “Virtual Microscope”.

• To start with one or several of the five Tutorials which give you an overview of the content included in this learning program.
• To study the “learning path” under “Foundations” which will introduce test parameters such as sensitivity, specificity and predictive values and with demonstrates the essence of Bayes’ theorem.
• Under “Methods” an overview of diagnostic principles and short descriptions of important diagnostic methods including alternative methods complementing microscopy can be found.
• Under “Diagnostic Keys” the key diagnostic features of protozoa and helminth ova and larvae are available. User have as well opportunities to familiarise themselves with diagnostic keys by solving exercises.
• Having studied the above-mentioned chapters, the user is prepared to attack the heart of this program, the “Virtual Microscopy”. Here some basic training modules are offered where the task is to identify a parasite on a virtual slide. A next step is to differentiate parasites in a multiple-choice test (under “Basic exercises”). The most difficult assignment is to diagnose virtual samples with mixed infections or artefacts (under “Advanced exercises”).
• Finally, “Parasites in brief” includes a short summary of parasitic diseases (“Diseases A-Z”) and reference pictures for parasitic protozoa and helminths (“Protozoa A-Z” and “Helminths A-Z”)
• A bibliography of text books and atlases as well as URLs for interesting websites are available under “Resources”.

The learning program is accessible for free on the internet and can be explored by everybody interested in the diagnosis of parasite infections.

www.parasite-diagnosis.ch

Dr. Joachim Pelikan

 

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The pictures below show screenshots from the learning program (click to enlarge).