Educational Interventions to Improve Cytology Visual Diagnostic Reasoning Measured by Eye Tracking

Abstract

The teaching of visual diagnostic reasoning skills, to date, has been conducted in a largely unstructured apprenticeship manner. The purpose of this study was to assess if the introduction of two educational interventions improved the visual diagnostic reasoning skills of novices. These were (1) the active use of key diagnostic features and (2) image repetition. A pre-test and post-test research design was used to compare the two teaching interventions to a traditional teaching group and an expert group using eye tracking as an assessment method. The time to diagnosis and the percentage of time spent viewing an area of diagnostic interest (AOI) were compared using independent t-tests, paired t-tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Diagnostic accuracy as a dichotomous variable was compared using Chi-square tables. Students taught in an active-learning manner with image repetition behaved most like experts, with no significant difference from experts for percentage of time spent in the AOIs and a significantly faster time to diagnosis than experts (p<.017). Our results from the educational interventions suggest a greater level of improvement in the eye tracking of students that were taught key diagnostic features in an active-learning forum and were shown multiple case examples.

Impact of an educational intervention on eye gaze behaviour in retinal image interpretation by consultant and trainee ophthalmologists

“…Unfortunately, this did not translate into improved diagnostic accuracy in either group and this may reflect that short-term teaching interventions cannot replace the experience that comes with clinical practice and exposure to many patients with these findings. This finding was also eluded to by Warren et al 7 who found that active teaching with repeated case examples was more effective than traditional lecture style teaching.…”

Use of Eye-Tracking Technology by Medical Students Taking the Objective Structured Clinical Examination: Descriptive Study

“…However, using the eye tracker and the subsequent analysis, we have a better idea of the approach candidates use to reach their conclusion and the basis of their response in the image provided. In this case, studies on eye trackers have evaluated candidates’ interpretation of an electrocardiogram [ 24 ] or other medical images [ 22 , 23 ]. However, further research should bear in mind that gaze does not necessarily have a direct correlation with a complex cognitive process.…”

Challenges & Issues: Evidence-Based Clinical Skills Teaching and Learning: What Do We Really Know?

“…Similar time spent only in lecture did not provide the same benefit. 95 Students using a self-learning computer module to learn nasogastric intubation in a horse out-performed those taught via lecture plus live demonstration as assessed through knowledge tests, time to successful intubation, and confidence levels. 96 Langebaek and colleagues 97 evaluated which resources students used most frequently for a castration lab.…”