An educational game for enhanced medical imaging interpretation skills

In the field of medicine, medical imaging is a tool of significance. It is a noninvasive diagnostic method and an instrument for guiding surgical equipment inside the patient. There exist different types of image modalities and technologies for different areas of medicine. What they all have in common, is that in order to utilize the tools to its full potential, practice and training are required. This thesis evaluates the current state of medical imaging interpretation learning software. The goal is to improve previous work and expand available software to further enhance how medical staff can practice medical imaging interpretation. Emphasis is put on game elements and its ability to encourage users to learn. A software system, Medical Imaging Interpretation Courseware (MIIC), was chosen to be used as the basis for a new platform to reach the goal. MIIC implements classroom-centered training and an admin interface to help the creation of exercises. The admin interface was improved to make collecting and generating image-based questions simpler and more efficient for the administrators. A new application was created with a focus on compatibility with all platforms, especially mobile devices for easy access. The application utilizes game elements like scoring to motivate the users to continuously strive to increase their high score, and improve their skill in medical imaging interpretation. The application was tested on a group of medical students, and the results showed that most users found the game elements motivating and perceived the application as useful. The test users reported that the application would be beneficial as a supplement to their already existing training program