Visual-spatial dimension integration in digital pathology education enhances anatomical pathology learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Pathology
• E-learning Resources

Background:

• Limited digital pathology e-learning resources exist for senior medical undergraduates and interns.
• An interactive Digital Pathology Repository (iDPR) was developed to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the iDPR as a pathology education tool.
• To assess user satisfaction, knowledge gains, and visual behavior with the iDPR.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods evaluation including pre- and post-tests, questionnaires, focus groups, and eye gaze tracking.
• Assessed pathology knowledge gains, quality impact, user feedback, and visual behavior with 2D/3D images.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in pathology knowledge scores (p < 0.001) after using the iDPR.
• High user satisfaction with the iDPR's design; identified as a relevant online learning resource.
• Faster identification of pathological lesions using 3D images compared to 2D images.

Conclusions:

• The iDPR shows promise for pathology education, enhancing knowledge and potentially aiding diagnosis.
• Future development could integrate annotations, interactivity, and advanced visualization for diagnostic pathology and telepathology.
• The visual-spatial dimension of 3D pathology images may improve diagnostic speed and accuracy.