e-HEMATimage - A 21st Century Interactive Haematology Experience
IBMS Fellow Dan Pelling writes about an educational haematology programme developed for use by biomedical scientists across Europe which is now ready to deliver a CPD tool that can complement existing CPD schemes in countries beyond Europe and across the globe.
Welcome to an Interactive Haematology Morphology Programme quite unlike any other.
Conceived and implemented by some of the most eminent minds in haematology across the world, the e-HEMATimage programme is one of the education, training and development streams of the pan European, multilingual e-MEDICINimage programme; other educational programmes being e-MYCOimage, e-CYTimage, and e-PARASITimage. These programmes, which focus on Haematology morphology, Mycology, Parasitology and Cytology respectively, have been developed to align with the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning and Vocational training scheme, known as the Leonardo da Vinci Project.
As e-Hematimage is part of the e-medicine European funded e-learning programme, it has a reliable and robust pedigree. e-learning offers real-time and personalised solutions to continuing professional development. Electronic responses to user questions and comments are rapid, standardized and can be stored for future use. The interactive nature of e-learning also offers the possibility of championing local mentoring. e-HEMATimage is for professionals (medical and biomedical), who are involved in the relevant fields whether in clinical, routine laboratory, or specialised laboratory settings. At a local level, the various e-medicine programmes are managed, updated and distributed by the FCBM, (Formation Continue en Biologie et Medicine), based in Toulouse: a non-profit organisation which has been tasked with this role by the European Commission.
Haematology Morphology CME and CPD have evolved!
Upon successful registration, the individual is allocated with a username and password. The e-HEMATimage programme then allows you to download cases onto your PC where you can:
- read a brief patient history,
- review basic blood count results,
- look at results from supporting tests where necessary,
- examine a blood film,
- perform a complete differential,
- magnify images to assess fine or subtle morphological features
- split the computer screen and compare library images of similar cases,
- decide on important morphological features from any and all cell lines using easy drop-down menus,
- suggest diagnoses and relevant further tests,
- answer specifically set questions,
- make general or personal observations,
- using simple recognisable tabs, effortlessly move backwards and forwards between different aspects of the case study.
Once you have completed and submitted your findings and answers /opinions, the software gives you an immediate and automatic comparison between your question answers, your cell differential, your diagnostic differential and your choice of further tests. You can see the differences between your answers and differential and the reference data. Where you have got your answer perfect, the screen flashes red with a big ‘Well Done’ sign! A complete patient history and a full explanation of the pathology are provided, by the experts who were involved with the case.
In return for your hard work you will also get a case-by-case personal feedback e-mail from a world-renowned expert that will reference and comment upon your submitted answers.
As you continue to participate you can track and compare how well you are performing not only against the reference answers but also against other participants. Certificates of participation are provided at the end of each season (a season comprises 9 cases released on approximately a monthly basis between February and December). You can also print the images and or answers using the straightforward selecting and printing function of the programme.
Depending on how you have set up the system on your PC you can download, access and search a vast library of haematopathological conditions, or morphological features, in order to split the computer screen and compare reference images from the library to the cell image on the case study blood film, before you assign it to a category. The library images have annotated cellular features so as to help you learn key aspects of morphology.
I have been part of the programme since its inception and have seen it develop into a first class and unique interactive haematology morphology training programme. It provides a technically advanced, yet simple-to-use system, and a high standard in morphology training across international boundaries. From personal experience it helps develop workforce competence and confidence in morphology. Could it help you too and support your development…?
For further information about the programme, or to express an interest in registering, please see contact details below:
For all English-speaking countries (including those outside of Europe):
Dan Pelling CSci FIBMS
Pathology Workforce Development Manager
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
London
UK.
e-mail: daniel.pelling@imperial.nhs.uk
e-mail: danpelling2@googlemail.com
Tel: +44 020 331 23347
FCBM e-Hematimage Liaison (English-speaking countries)
(Please note: this CPD tool is not affiliated to or endorsed by the Institute of Biomedical Science)
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