The Eurocytology Project

A uniform platform for education, training and development of transferable skills in clinical cytology screening and diagnosis

R Dina1, M.Totsch, A. Fassina, J. Duskova, B. Onnal, A. Capitanio, Interfase SrL, A Badger (2013-15 call)

DV Coleman1, L Vass, W Olszweski , W Domegala, M Chosia, A Capitanio, G Morgan, A Bondi (2006-08 call)

1 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust London, EFCS, Czech Cytology Society, Turkish Cytology Society, Interfase Srl,

Inbrook Ltd

Impereial College London, Hungarian Society of Cytology, Polish Society of Cytology, Pomeranian Medical University,

University College London, Karolinska Hospital and Institute, Swedish Society of Cytology, Italian Society of of Cytopathology

Eurocytology

What it was meant to be What we have created Who uses it and where What is peculiar to it Where do we want to go

The Eurocytology Websitewww.eurocytology.eu

• The Eurocytology website is a unified platform for the vocational training and professional education of both cytotechnologists and cytopathologists.

• The project is supported by the EU Leonardo da Vinci program.

• The website was hosted on Imperial College website and was password protected during validation by EACC

• Has gone live as a public domain in December 2007 and is free to access

Partner institutions2006-08 call 2013-15 call Imperial College, UK (Lead) Karolinska Institut, Stockholm,

Sweden Pomeranian Medical University,

Szeczin, Poland Hungarian Society for Clinical

Cytology Swedish Society for Clinical

Cytology Polish Cytology Society Italian Society of Anatomic

Pathology & Cytology Inbrook Ltd

Imperial College NHS Trust (RxEye) (Lead)

EFCS (EACC) Turkish Society of Cytology Czech Society of Cytology Interfase Srl Inbrook Ltd

Target groups

Trainee cytotechnologists Cytopathologists in training Cytology teachers and instructors Medical students

Contents

The training comprises of: A series of teaching packages A small reference library of

cytology slides A cervical cytology self

assessment test

Aims of the project

Increasing access to training in clinical cytology

Harmonising training in cytology throughout the EU

Improving standards of training Encouraging continuing professional

development Promoting equal opportunities for

employment in the EU

Validation

The training program has been independently validated by the European Advisory Committee on Cytotechnology (EACC)

Average monthly traffic 2009-14

year 2009 year 2010 year 2011 year 2012 year 2013 year 20140

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What is peculiar to this project?

Transnationality Validation through a European

Network Dinamic tests through the use of a

specific software and image database

Use of virtual slides Translated in several languages

The new Eurocytology Project The website was originally developed with Leonardo funding. Its use has

significantly exceeded expectations. It is now the most used cytology e-learning training platform on the web. The platform is interactive, available in 6 languages (English, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Polish and Hungarian) and can be accessed on www.eurocytology.eu. In 2012 it received on average 37,000 visits and 56,000 pages downloaded/ month.

There is now a need for further work. More EU countries wish to become involved, with their own training priorities and curricula and the whole training platform needs to be expanded to reflect their particular professional and competence requirements. The materials need to be updated and enhanced. The architecture of the website will become dynamic rather than static.

EFCS, our European Federation, is looking to the website to provide the platform for a European recognised accredited professional training programme; particularly as the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) Oct 2012 ratified that sector training must follow an approved curriculum with individual nations regularly assessed and national variations approved.

The new Eurocytology Project Our aims and objectives are to ensure that we

deliver EU wide improvements in the quality of the training available for curriculum development, increase further website use, particularly in countries currently not readily using the website and provide a universally accepted and relevant accredited training tool. This to support both initial and continuous training needs, provide for a shift to learning outcomes, competence-based systems and the validation of prior non-formal and informal learning.

Eurocytology 2013-15Partners

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

European Federation of Cytology Societies

Turkish Cytology Society Czech Cytology Society Inbrooks Ltd Interfase

Eurocytology 2013-15

Successful in applying for another EU grant Move platform from static to dynamic architecture EFCS is a partner (already linked to website) Linked to IAC website Translate into Turkish, Czech, Portuguese and German Incorporate translations and adaptations into national

curricula (Turkey, Czech Republic) Increase interactivity by devising online assessment

and testing tools Maintain an editorial committee Validate it as a European Accreditation Scheme

Platform Through QUATE

Traffic 2013-14

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Return visits

Visits 2012 2014 1 visit 86.4% 74.7%

2 visits 9% 15%

3 visits 2.1% 5% 4 visits 1% 2.1% 5 visits 0.5% 1%

Conclusions

The traffic is increasing year on year by approximately 11%

More countries are using the platform

More languages are being added Return visits have increased by 2 fold

between 2012 and 2014

Chapters Editorial content Academic content Practical value Comments

The female genital tract Anatomy,physiology and histology of cervixCervical cancer: epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis and main histological types

HPV in cervical cancerThe Pap test: principles of collection and preparation of specimens……Normal cell contents of cervical smears, contaminants and aretefacts..Inflammatory changes,specific infections reactions,repair and iatrogenic changesSquamous carcinoma, SIL and ASCUSGlandular lesions and management of women with abnormal smears

Quality AssuranceHealth and safety in the laboratoryAutomation and liquid based cytology

Self Test

Virtual Slides library

ADDITIONAL PLANNED CHAPTERS Yes Moderately No

Colposcopy

Self assessment for each chapter

10 Virtual slides for each chapter

Immunocytochemistry in cytology

Molecular diagnostic tests in cytology

Flow Cytometry

The role of Cytotechnologists in FNA cytology

CSF cytology

Joint Fluid cytology

On line examination in cervical cytology

On line examination in diagnostic cytology

QUATE mock examination on line

EACC Questionnaire responses

Additions Usefulness (only very useful)

Colposcopy 19/32 (1 NO)

Self assessment each ch. 30/32

10 virtual slides for each ch. 29/32

ICC in cytology 25/32

Molecular diagn. tests in cytology 25/32

Flow cytometry 16/32 (5 NO)

The role of Cytotechnologists in FNAC 18/32 (1 N0)

CSF cytology 25/32

Joint Fluid cytology 21/32 (1 NO)

On line examination in cervical cyt 25/32 (2 NO

Update on the project Dissemination is strong (European tutorials, Turkish Cytology

Society meetings, Czech Cytology Society workshops, European Cytology Congress in Geneva)

Quate is an active participant French Society (Christine Bergeron and Beatrix Cochand-Priollet)

agreed to translate in French Rumanian translation starting (Anamaria Pop-Bucuresti) Russian translation (Russian Society of Cytology) EFCS to co-ordinate German translation EACC to validate editorial content 20 Thinprep samples and 70 conventional smears have been

digitally scanned, Surepath to follow. By end September 2014, 120 non gynae cytology cases have

been scanned Collaboration with RxEye (MDT cases and digital slides) Editorial update by September 2015 QUATE mock exam being uploaded