Biomedical subjects

E M Brebner

Publications and source records attributed to E M Brebner.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

The diagnostic acceptability of low-bandwidth transmission for tele-ultrasound.

Ultrasound recordings were made of 100 consecutive patients attending for obstetric examination in Peterhead and 100 patients attending for non-obstetric examination in Aberdeen. Two identical video-conferencing machines were used to transmit and receive the original ultrasound images at data rates of 384 kbit/s and 128 kbit/s, thus producing a total of three tapes for each case. Four experienced observers, who were blinded to the transmission bandwidth, each viewed 300 examinations and decided whether the images were acceptable or not for diagnosis. Almost 100% of the obstetric ultrasound images on the original recordings were considered diagnostically acceptable, compared with 93% of the 384 kbit/s transmissions and 44% of the 128 kbit/s transmissions. Similarly, 99% of the non-obstetric ultrasound images were considered acceptable, compared with 87% of the 384 kbit/s transmissions and 21% of the 128 kbit/s transmissions. For the obstetric ultrasound images the intra-observer diagnostic agreement was 93% (kappa = 0.89) between the original and the 384 kbit/s transmissions, and 78% (kappa = 0.63) between the original and the 128 kbit/s transmissions. For the non-obstetric ultrasound images the respective intra-observer diagnostic agreements were 77% (kappa = 0.62) and 78% (kappa = 0.63). The quality of dynamic ultrasound images transmitted at 384 kbit/s was diagnostically acceptable, but was unsatisfactory at 128 kbit/s.

Female↗

PubMed1999

Low-bandwidth tele-ultrasound.

We examined the acceptability and diagnostic accuracy of dynamic ultrasound images transmitted at 128 kbit/s and 384 kbit/s. The gold standard was the direct recording of 200 ultrasound examinations on video-tape. The taped images were later transmitted at both 128 kbit/s and 384 kbit/s and recorded, resulting in three tapes for each case. Four observers viewed each tape individually. Ninety per cent of images transmitted at 384 kbit/s were rated as diagnostically acceptable compared with 32% of images transmitted at 128 kbit/s. Diagnostic agreement between tapes transmitted at 384 kbit/s and the gold standard was 85%, compared with 78% for 128 kbit/s transmissions. Observers were not satisfied with low-bandwidth transmission of ultrasound images despite adequate diagnostic accuracy. Dynamic ultrasound images transmitted at 384 kbit/s were viewed as both diagnostically acceptable and accurate.

Electronics↗

PubMed1998

International collaboration in the development of postgraduate research training (692).

Research training leading to a higher degree can be difficult for those who live in countries where advanced educational facilities are not yet available, since it may involve translation of a whole family to a foreign country with resultant language, financial and cultural problems. There are special difficulties for females and those of the Moslem faith, who may have been married early and already have a family by the time of initial graduation. There may also be cultural difficulties preventing overseas study for the unmarried female. This paper describes a flexible approach developed by the University of Aberdeen in association with the Ministry of Health in Kuwait. This was an MSc course on the process of continuous quality assurance in medical practice which was based on the concept that research training was the best means of evaluating and measuring quality. The students were finally assessed on the quality of their research dissertation. The course, which was part-time, and thus lasted for 2 years, required them to spend 12 weeks in each of two successive summers in Aberdeen. The subject chosen for each dissertation was related to the work area of the candidate and was studied in the country of origin with the help of periodic visits by the supervisors. The results were surprisingly successful since the students became highly motivated by the problems of their own country and were encouraged by their colleagues at home. The process could have been even more successful if videoconferencing facilities had been available at both the Aberdeen and Kuwait centres. It is concluded that a more flexible approach by western universities would result in an increase in both the quantity and the quality of postgraduate study.

Education, Medical, Continuing↗

PubMed1997

Intercontinental postmortem studies using interactive television.

For cultural reasons, medical students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are not offered postmortem studies. In a collaborative project between the medical schools of Aberdeen University and the UAE University the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of telepathology teaching were evaluated. The transmission of postmortem video images at a quality high enough for teaching purposes was achieved at a data transmission speed of 384 kbit/s. Videoconferencing as a method of presentation was viewed by the students as both interesting and useful. All students participating in the telepathology teaching sessions exceeded the minimum acceptable score of 60% in a multiple-choice examination. Although international videoconferencing at 384 kbit/s is expensive, the costs involved in the telepathology project were small in relation to the educational benefits.

Autopsy↗

PubMed1997

A pilot study in medical education using interactive television.

Medical students in the United Arab Emirates do not receive postmortem teaching. This is because postmortems are not normally carried out, for cultural reasons. In order to address this problem a collaborative project was established between the medical schools of Aberdeen University and the United Arab Emirates University to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of telepathology teaching. A videoconferencing link was established between the UK and the Middle East using ISDN at a transmission speed of 384 kbit/s. Although some technical problems relating to line continuity were encountered, the results relating to feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness were very positive. Although expensive, this form of teaching may still be cost-effective in relation to the benefits.

Autopsy↗

PubMed1995

Telematics in undergraduate teaching.

The use of telematics in the practice of medicine has received much recent attention but little has been written about the use of these techniques in medical education. This is a report of a pilot study in which an interactive video-conference took place between medical students at the UAE University and their opposite numbers at Aberdeen University. In Aberdeen, the Dean of the Medical Faculty simultaneously taught Aberdeen and UAE students on a clinical case. He was able to confine his activities largely to the correction of misconceptions, the emphasis of important points and the addition of missing information, while the students themselves conducted most of the presentation. The UAE students presented their Community Health projects and had a spirited discussion on them with the Aberdeen students. Recent technological advances have so improved the quality of transmission of both visual and auditory images and at reasonable cost, using the ISDN telephone system, that the feasibility of using this medium as an aid to teaching has suddenly materialized. The experiment showed that the technology was adequate for easy, fully interactive teaching among students from different continents and with different cultural backgrounds. It is particularly suitable for the Arab world where it is the custom to teach males and females separately. The pilot study has pointed out the existence of a medium of communication and teaching which, if proved to be effective, could have far-reaching consequences in the undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of medicine.

Adult↗