ZOOM: a generic personal computer-based teaching program for public health and its application in schistosomiasis...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Parasitology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting over 200 million people globally, linked to water resource development.
• Infections can lead to severe organ damage, including liver, spleen, gastrointestinal, urinary tract, and kidney diseases.
• Effective training for public health workers is crucial for schistosomiasis control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel computer-assisted teaching package for schistosomiasis control training.
• To provide public health workers with an accessible and adaptable educational tool.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hypermedia-based software package named ZOOM.
• Integration of a schistosomiasis information file, Dr Schisto.
• Utilizing IBM-PC compatible hardware with minimal configuration requirements.
• Multilingual user interface (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese).

Main Results:

• The ZOOM software is user-friendly and requires minimal hardware.
• Information files can be customized by instructors using a word processor without needing programming skills.
• The package effectively links text and images via hypermedia technology.

Conclusions:

• The developed teaching package offers a flexible and accessible solution for training public health workers in schistosomiasis control.
• This tool can be adapted to specific educational needs, enhancing disease management strategies.