A medical imaging computing learning program: transitioning towards the medical technology in Africa

Abstract

Among the fundamental aspects that developing countries must face, there is two of great importance: health and training. Higher education has a high value in the well-being of any society. The professionals, regardless their years of experience, need to not only be trained in their professional and research field but to stay up-to-date in terms of technology and in contact with other colleagues. Within the framework of the MACbioIDi, an international cooperation project funded by Interreg, a training program has been developed for medical and engineering professionals whose main objectives are on the one hand training in technologies of medical imaging computing and on the other hand the creation of a professional hub in which to develop future training and research activities. The project includes the countries of Cape Verde, Mauritania and Senegal and the ultra peripheral European regions that belong to the Macaronesia: Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira.

The present work proposes a Blended Learning and multilingual model that can serve as a basis for future training programs in developing countries. It is the result of a study of MOOCs oriented to European and African training programs. This model includes the development of learning objects: digital contents and containers. Throughout the planning stage all its phases are detailed, including periodic reviews to deal with possible deviations. This flexibility puts into focus those aspects that most influence in the achievement of objectives with a model that is raised from the quality of training for trainers. The educational material developed is focused on the 3DSlicer and the Open Anatomy tools, both technologies are initiatives of Harvard University. The first one is an application for medical image informatics, image processing, and three-dimensional visualization. The second is an anatomical atlas, accessible from the web, which presents an interactive map of the human body. For both, a study has been carried out in order to adapt the contents to the professional profiles and their environment.