SBIR-STTR Award

Clinical laboratories (CL) practitioners play a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, trauma, and maladies. In fact, 70% of the information used by health care practitioners in making medical decisions comes from the CL. However, there is today a significant shortfall of trained CL technologists and technicians, with 36% of the CL job openings in 2012 expected to go unfilled. Moreover, CL academic programs are shutting down in great numbers, citing high operating costs and difficulty in recruiting and retaining faculty. Over one-third of CL training programs closed in the past decade alone, with many CL academic programs in shambles and many faculty leaving the profession. The Athena Group, Inc. (Athena), in close collaboration with Morgan State University (MSU), proposes eClinic, a technology-based approach to post- secondary CL education that addresses the CL shortfall problem. The eClinic technology, developed by Athena under the guidance of and in close collaboration with practicing faculty and clinicians at MSU, will deliver authentic CL educational activities using virtual wet labs and advanced, embedded learning strategies that better prepare students for professional practice and faculty (pre-service and in-service) for credentialing. Specific objectives of the eClinic project are to develop a technology that enhances CL academic programs, attracts degree candidates into these programs, better prepares students and validates CL instructors, and reduces the cost of professional training. In that spirit, eClinic will be developed as an effective, affordable, and sustainable educational software product targeting CL programs, both 2-year and 4-year colleges, with an initial (Phase I) focus on the MSU baccalaureate CL program. eClinic will leverage Athena's demonstrated leadership in developing virtual learning environments and MSU's CL education expertise. The eClinic technology will be driven by high-quality 3-D animated simulations, virtual instrumentation, and an intimate understanding of inquiry- and scenario-based learning systems. The Phase I eClinic technology will result in demonstrable learning modules for students and faculty for use in existing laboratory-intense MSU CL clinical microbiology, clinical chemistry, and immunohematology courses. The principal long-range eClinic goal is to prepare students and faculty for successful careers in CL with a product that provides quantitative and qualitative benefits to public health. Commercially, eClinic's reach will be extended beyond CL to support traditional biology and chemistry. In addition, joint Athena/MSU distance learning initiatives will also expand eClinic's market. Finally, eClinic will be developed as an instrument training tool for the CL industry.

Public Health Relevance:
The proposed eClinic project advances the cause of public health by enhancing clinical laboratory (CL) academic programs, attracting degree candidates into these programs, better preparing students and validating CL instructors, and reducing the costs of professional training.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
The proposed eClinic project advances the cause of public health by enhancing clinical laboratory (CL) academic programs, attracting degree candidates into these programs, better preparing students and validating CL instructors, and reducing the costs of professional training.

NIH Spending Category:
Bioengineering; Clinical Research

Project Terms:
3-Dimensional; Address; base; Biology; career; Chemistry; Clinical; Clinical Chemistry; Clinical Microbiology; Clinical Services; Collaborations; college; Computer Simulation; Computer software; cost; Credentialing; Detection; Diagnosis; Disease; Distance Learning; Educational Activities; Educational aspects; Environment; experience; Faculty; Goals; health care delivery; Healthcare; immunohematology; improved; Industry; innovation; innovative technologies; instructor; instrument; instrumentation; Joints; Laboratories; Laboratory Study; Leadership; Learning; Left; Maintenance; Marketing; Medical; Medicine; Mind; Mission; Occupations; Phase; phase 1 study; Play; Process; Professional Practice; programs; prototype; public health medicine (field); Recruitment Activity; Research; Role; Safety; Science; science education; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Services; simulation; Spottings; Students; System; Techniques; Technology; tool; Training; Training Programs; Trauma; Universities; virtual

The Athena Group, Inc. (Athena), in close collaboration with practicing faculty and clinicians at Morgan State University (MSU), University of Delaware (UD), and George Washington University (GWU), proposes the Phase II development of eClinic as an effective, affordable, and sustainable educational software product de- signed to improve the quality of the undergraduate clinical laboratory science (CLS) experience. The Phase II eClinic project will leverage Athena's significant experience in developing 3D virtual learning environments and MSU's, UD's, and GW's CLS subject matter expertise to build on the student success demonstrated during eClinic's Phase I modules and activities. The Phase II eClinic technology will result in 30 CLS scenario-based, student learning modules, including lessons and virtual instruments (VIs), and 10 faculty modules that emulate high-end laboratory instrumentation. The 10 faculty modules will feature simulations and activities that can be cross-purposed for use by CLS students. All eClinic modules will focus on content common to accredited CLS program courses. The student modules will be quantitatively assessed in existing CLS courses, while a cadre of CLS instructors will review and evaluate the faculty modules. In Phase II, Athena will address the question of how the eClinic hypothesis can be applied to more broadly impact CLS students across the nation, supporting programs of study that focus on traditional wet la- boratories as well as those that expose students to the high-tech instrumentation found in professional practice. Efforts will continue to increase the connectivity between high-tech instrumentation and techniques found in practicing medical facilities and the learning experiences offered in the laboratory section of CLS courses. In Phase II, Athena will expand eClinic's focus on providing CLS program instructors and practicing professionals with professional development opportunities. Extensive assessment of the comprehensive eClinic system will be completed in Phase II. To achieve widespread commercial product adoption in the marketplace, Athena will license eClinic to publishers, dealers, retailers, and distributors with established marketing channels.

Public Health Relevance Statement:


Public Health Relevance:
The proposed eClinic project advances the cause of public health better preparing clinical laboratory science (CLS) students for professional practice, providing CLS faculty and practitioners with enhanced professional development opportunities, and reducing the overall costs of CLS education. Societal benefits are expected in that better health care can result from better trained CLS specialists.

Project Terms:
Address; Adoption; base; Blood Platelets; Body Fluids; Clinical; clinical material; clinical practice; Collaborations; Computer software; Continuing Education; cost; Delaware; Development; E-learning; Educational aspects; Environment; Equipment; experience; Faculty; flexibility; Goals; Gram's stain; health care delivery; Healthcare; improved; innovation; innovative technologies; inquiry-based learning; instructor; instrument; instrumentation; Knowledge; Laboratories; Learning; Learning Module; Licensing; Maintenance; Manufacturer Name; Marketing; mass spectrometer; Measures; Medical; Medicine; member; Phase; phase 2 study; Professional Practice; programs; Provider; public health medicine (field); public health relevance; Recruitment Activity; Research; routine Bacterial stain; Safety; Science; science education; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; simulation; skills; Specialist; Students; success; System; Teaching Materials; Teaching Method; Techniques; Technology; Testing; Training; Universities; virtual; Washington