Assessing The Use Of Virtual Microscopy To Aid The Diagnosis Of Malaria

Literature Review

The title of this project is “to assess the use of virtual microscopy to aid the diagnosis of malaria”.

It is the first chapter of investigation where an investigator will discuss the background, aim and research questions associated with the research issues. This chapter will facilitate the depth of knowledge regarding the project scope (Abdul?Ghani, 2015).

This is the second chapter of research that demonstrates the literature review to identify the research issues. Different secondary sources would be used to collect data regarding research issue such as academic publications, textbooks, journal articles and online websites.

It is the next chapter of research that assesses different steps for accomplishing the aims in an organised as well as ethical manner. These steps are a selection of feasible research design, strategy, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques. Under this chapter, the selected methodology is rationalised by a researcher to make sure the feasibility of research results (Linder, et. al., 2014).

Under the next research chapter, an investigator evaluates the assessed information and supports it with the literature review. This discussion relies on each goal. This element is beneficial for identifying the research concern in a significant way.

Conclusion:

It is the last chapter in which a researcher is competent for concluding the whole investigation as per data assessment. It is effective for interpreting the association amid objectives of investigations and findings as well as a reach at the valid conclusion regarding the research issues (Gomez-et. al., 2017).

The competency of developing an effective morphological diagnosis of Malaria remains a significant and cost-effective health intervention at worldwide. But, detection of malaria and recognition of blood films is required to identify the skills, training, knowledge and experience of an individual. The impact of misdiagnosis could be very serious. By supporting the diagnosis quality in different nations and settings could be challenging, specifically for that individual who is working in isolation (Das, Mukherjee and Chakraborty, 2015). In addition, direct practical guidelines and education at the microscope are central to training. Furthermore, glass-slide samples of malaria-infected blood are distributed by reference laboratories that facilitate the outstanding education in diagnosis. External quality assessment has been demonstrated to enhance the accuracy but it has been complex for implementing since the provision and collection of clinic material are labour intensive as well as slide numbers may be restricted.

It is now a prospect for delivering digital slides of blood films to a wide range of geographical areas due to facilities of internet access. In addition, web-based virtual microscope system is highly supporting this procedure and the set of skills have been shown to mirror those used in glass slide diagnosis (Pan, Dong, and Wu, 2017). The virtual microscope has been implemented in the education of university, and EQU schemes in order to get sustainable professional development.

The aims of this study are to depict the effectiveness as well as the feasibility of the virtual microscope to provide digital slides of malaria-infected blood with a resolution of high quality. Another aim is to evaluate how the technique could be implemented for supporting the skills in the diagnosis of malaria in developed as well as developing countries. Moreover, virtual microscopy is implemented for CPD, educations and for remote diagnosis. Images from blood films would be provided and these could be implemented for assessing the diagnostic competencies and facilitate the training. The aim of the project is to evaluate the use of the new system and facilitates the training for other students (Maina, et. al., 2017).  

Research Methodology

Following the hypothesis would be used to assess the relationship between two variables i.e. independent and dependent variable:

H0: There is no significant relationship between virtual microscopy and diagnosis of malaria

H1: There is a significant relationship between virtual microscopy and diagnosis of malaria

Following are the aims of this investigation:

RO1: To assess the use of a new system and provide training for other students

RO2: To provides digital slides of malaria-infected blood with a resolution of high quality

RO3: To evaluate how the technique could be implemented for supporting the skills in the diagnosis of malaria in developed as well as developing countries

The research methodology section enables to conduct the research in a systematic way. There are different methods that are considered by the researcher to conduct their research named research methods, research design, research ethics, data analysis, and sample size and sample (Goswami, et. al., 2015). These are discussed as below:

In the researcher study, two kinds of methods are considered by the researcher named primary and secondary data collection method. The primary gathering method could be imperative in getting first-hand information from the different sources named observation, survey through questionnaire method, observation method, email method, personal conversation. Apart from this, it is evaluated that secondary data collection method could aid an individual who conducts the researcher to collect the information from the existing sources named literature review method data, content analysis method, and case study data analysis method (Rotaru, et. al., 2016). For conducting this study, the researcher will use survey through questionnaire method and get their opinion and views of selected people towards the use of virtual microscopy to aid the diagnosis of Malaria. Besides this, it is evaluated the content analysis method will also be practised by the researcher to conduct this study and make a favourable decision in the context of the current matter. It could be effective for getting theoretical information about research issue (Skandarajah, et. al., 2014).   

In the research study, three kinds of tools and techniques are considered such as qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research design. Further, the qualitative research design is used for collecting theoretical information in the context of the specified issue but at the same time, it is evaluated that quantitative method is applied at the time of getting numerical information towards the research issue (Abdul?Ghani, 2015). Apart from this, it is evaluated that the mixed research design is practised for getting the benefits of both qualitative as well as quantitative method. It could be effective for the attainment of research objectives. For conducting this study, the researcher will consider the mixed research method and get advantages of both by collecting the theoretical as well as factual information towards the specified research matter (Kim, and Searson, 2017). This method will lead to getting a favourable result.

The research ethics could be imperative to conduct a study in a systematic way. The researcher will use the ethical norms to eliminate possibilities of ethical issues and reach at the reliable conclusion. In addition, it is evaluated that the research participants could share some essential information at the time of conducting research and researcher will be liable to secure their all information after and during the researcher as it would be imperative for getting reliable result and make a positive relationship with them (Chandler, et. al., 2014).

Results and Implications of this Work

The data analysis method could lead to evaluate the collected data in the least time and reach at the valid conclusion. There are certain methods that could be considered in the research named like statistical data analysis and theoretical data analysis method. The statistical data analysis method could lead to evaluate factual information while theoretical data analysis method assists to get non-numerical information and effective to get a reliable outcome. For conducting this study, the researcher will use statistical data analysis method as it considers certain sources named bar, table, and graph (Ms-Excel software). It will be effective for researching at the reliable conclusion (Dryden, 2016).   

In the investigation, mainly two kinds of methods are considered that are known as probability and non-probability sampling method. The probability sampling method could lead to getting direct responses of the research candidates towards the research matter while the non-probability sampling method could lead to getting biased responses on the research candidates (Das, Mukherjee, and Chakraborty, 2015). In this researcher, probability sampling tool with simple random sampling tool will be used by the research to conduct this study and research at a valid conclusion. This method will lead to randomly select participants and get their opinion towards research issues (Goswami, et. al., 2015). This method will be imperative for collecting result without biased. For this research, the investigator will select 100 people from the UK and get their opinion towards the current research issue. It could be effective for collecting reliable result.

The research timeframe could be imperative to identify the time to conduct each activity of research. These are discussed by following table and chart:

Research milestone	Initial Day	Last Day	Duration (months)
Addressing research issue	12-12-18	12-01-19	30
Literature Review	13-01-19	14-02-19	31
Pooling data through secondary data sources	15-02-19	15-04-19	60
Assessment of data	16-04-19	16-05-19	30
Final submission of report	17-05-19	18-06-19	31

                                                   

This research would be beneficial for assessing the use of a new system and provide training for other students.  It would gain awareness regarding the digital slides of malaria-infected blood with a resolution of high quality. This investigation will increase the awareness about the techniques for supporting the skills in the diagnosis of malaria in developed as well as developing countries. It would also assess the impact of virtual microscopy on the diagnosis of Malaria (Maina, et. al., 2017).  

References:

Abdul?Ghani, R., 2015. Towards e?parasitology: making use of virtual microscopy. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 20(2), pp.227-229.

Chandler, C.I., Meta, J., Ponzo, C., Nasuwa, F., Kessy, J., Mbakilwa, H., Haaland, A. and Reyburn, H., 2014. The development of effective behaviour change interventions to support the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests by Tanzanian clinicians. Implementation Science, 9(1), p.83.

Das, D.K., Mukherjee, R. and Chakraborty, C., 2015. Computational microscopic imaging for malaria parasite detection: a systematic review. Journal of Microscopy, 260(1), pp.1-19.

Dryden, M., 2016. Near patient testing, infection biomarkers, and rapid diagnostics. Antimicrobial Stewardship, p.26.

Gomez-Lazaro, M., Freitas, A. and Ribeiro, C.C., 2017. Confocal Raman microscopy: Imaging the chemistry. In Fluorescence Imaging and Biological Quantification (pp. 95-114). USA: CRC Press.

Goswami, R., Pi, D., Pal, J., Cheng, K. and Hudoba De Badyn, M., 2015. Performance evaluation of a dynamic telepathology system (Panoptiq™) in the morphologic assessment of peripheral blood film abnormalities. International journal of laboratory hematology, 37(3), pp.365-371.

Kim, C. and Searson, P.C., 2017. Detection of Plasmodium Lactate Dehydrogenase Antigen in Buffer Using Aptamer-Modified Magnetic Microparticles for Capture, Oligonucleotide-Modified Quantum Dots for Detection, and Oligonucleotide-Modified Gold Nanoparticles for Signal Amplification. Bioconjugate chemistry, 28(9), pp.2230-2234.

Linder, N., Turkki, R., Walliander, M., Mårtensson, A., Diwan, V., Rahtu, E., Pietikäinen, M., Lundin, M. and Lundin, J., 2014. A malaria diagnostic tool based on computer vision screening and visualization of Plasmodium falciparum candidate areas in digitized blood smears. PLoS One, 9(8), p.e104855.

Maina, J.K., Macharia, P.M., Ouma, P.O., Snow, R.W. and Okiro, E.A., 2017. Coverage of routine reporting on malaria parasitological testing in Kenya, 2015–2016. Global health action, 10(1), p.1413266.

Pan, W.D., Dong, Y. and Wu, D., 2017. Classification of Malaria-Infected Cells Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks. In Machine Learning-Advanced Techniques and Emerging Applications. UK: IntechOpen.

Rotaru, D.C., Fernandez-Manjon, B., Katri, A. and Tambouret, R.H., 2016, April. Design and Development of a Serious Game for Medical Training in Cytopathology. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Digital Health Conference (pp. 171-172). USA: ACM.

Skandarajah, A., Reber, C.D., Switz, N.A. and Fletcher, D.A., 2014. Quantitative imaging with a mobile phone microscope. PloS one, 9(5), p.e96906.