Search Results (3)

Biomarkers are fundamental to modern oncology practice, forming a close link to pathology practice. Pathology results must be accurate, timely, comprehensive, and comprehendible. External proficiency testing is a key tool in maintaining biomarker quality. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and utility of a novel end-to-end proficiency testing exercise exploring accuracy, turnaround time, and communication. Challenge specimens were made using resected colon cancer tissue, each paired with a fictional clinical vignette, and distributed to participants who were asked to provide all molecular testing required and return a final report for each case upon completion. Reports were redistributed to an assessor team including medical oncologists, each of whom was asked to recommend a systemic therapy based on each lab’s biomarker report. Participants were graded based on their ability to guide oncologists to the correct treatment. Eight laboratories participated. Three laboratories were found to have suboptimal results, two leading oncologists to incorrect therapeutic prescriptions, and one withdrawn. Turnaround time ranged from 6 to 86 days (median 24). Substantial qualitative reporting differences were identified. This study demonstrates the feasibility of end-to-end proficiency testing. The approach provides considerable value beyond analytic accuracy, including specimen management, turnaround time, and communication of results. Results suggest that reporting differences may lead to treatment disparities. This style of quality assurance will help reinforce good practices critical to the delivery of precision cancer care. Full article

The purpose of this study is to experiment eye tracking in situational awareness assessment in Bridge Resource Management training of ship officers who play a critical role in maritime accidents. The maritime industry focuses on human factor developing and improving regulations including training requirements to prevent marine casualties. The mandatory Bridge Resource Management training as per international regulations includes assessment of situational awareness of trainees in full mission ship bridge simulators. The study involves capturing and analyzing eye movement data from maritime cadets and ship officers with sea experience in a simulation exercise. An eye tracking analysis software and eye tracking glasses are used for the study. Inferential and descriptive analyses were both used to validate the results. Significant differences were found between fixation duration measurements of novice cadets and experienced officers. Heat map visualizations also revealed differences in focuses of attention among participants. The evaluations of the certified simulator assessors are considered as the ground truth, and the results were compared to and discussed accordingly. The results show that the eye tracking technology is a valuable complementary tool for assessment of situational awareness in a simulator environment, utilized with the existing conventional observation and performance measurement methods. The study reveals that eye tracking provides the assessor with novel data in simulator based maritime training, such as focus of attention, which contributes to the evaluation of the situational awareness. The study, therefore, contributes to maritime education aiming to improve the effectiveness of Bridge Resource Management training. It also contributes to scientific research on eye movement in maritime field by proposing the integration of eye tracking in the Bridge Resource Management training. Full article

The purpose of this study is to experiment an assessment method using eye tracking technology in simulator based electronic navigation training of ship officers who play a critical role in maritime accidents. The maritime industry focuses on human factor developing and improving regulations, training requirements and technology to prevent marine casualties. The mandatory use of simulations in maritime training as per international regulations includes competency assessment as a vital process. The study involves capturing and analyzing eye movement data from ship officers with sea experience in simulation exercises for assessing competency. A system including an eye tracking analysis software and eye tracking glasses is used for the study. Inferential and descriptive analysis were both used to validate the results. Significant differences were found between electronic navigation competencies of expert and novice ship officers. The results show that the eye tracking technology is a valuable tool for assessment of electronic navigation competency. Comparing novice and expert ship officers’ data proves that eye tracking provides in-depth data which is not obtainable by the available observation methods used in simulation training. The findings show that eye tracking provides the assessor novel data, such as focus of attention, which enables evaluation of the cognitive process and competency. The study, therefore, contributes to maritime education aiming to improve the effectiveness of simulator based maritime training which is vital for maritime safety. It also contributes to scientific research on eye movement in maritime field by proposing the integration of eye tracking in competency assessment in electronic navigation training as a part of simulation based maritime education. Full article