Telemycology, Remote Diagnostics of Clinical Mycology Samples

Background: Conventional diagnostic techniques for fungal infections, including microscopy and culture methods, are resource-intensive and necessitate highly trained personnel, which are often lacking in regions with limited medical infrastructure. This scarcity leads to underdiagnosis and delayed treatment of fungal infections which directly affect the mortality rates. Furthermore, there is a global shortage of specialized laboratory personnel in the field of mycology, emphasizing the critical need for remote diagnostic services.

Telemedicine (remote medical diagnosis) has become a significant part of daily medical practice, particularly in diagnostic fields such as pathology and radiology. While automated clinical bacteriology laboratories have seen advancements in this area, remote digital reading and diagnosis are still far from being widespread in clinical mycology. This is particularly important given the severe shortage of trained personnel and the high demand in this field.

Aim: This study explores remote digital plate reading and microscopy in fungal diagnostics, aiming to digitize the clinical mycology workflow. Digital imaging could significantly improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosing fungal infections, crucial for managing their rising incidence and reducing mortality. Additionally, developing these digital tools can enhance collaboration between clinical mycology laboratories strengthening global diagnostic capabilities and improv training and education at individual laboratory level.

Find the full study protocol below
Study Protocol for ECMM telemycology