IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0037245.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Distributed Medical Image Analysis and Diagnosis through Crowd-Sourced Games: A Malaria Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Sam Mavandadi
  • Stoyan Dimitrov
  • Steve Feng
  • Frank Yu
  • Uzair Sikora
  • Oguzhan Yaglidere
  • Swati Padmanabhan
  • Karin Nielsen
  • Aydogan Ozcan

Abstract

In this work we investigate whether the innate visual recognition and learning capabilities of untrained humans can be used in conducting reliable microscopic analysis of biomedical samples toward diagnosis. For this purpose, we designed entertaining digital games that are interfaced with artificial learning and processing back-ends to demonstrate that in the case of binary medical diagnostics decisions (e.g., infected vs. uninfected), with the use of crowd-sourced games it is possible to approach the accuracy of medical experts in making such diagnoses. Specifically, using non-expert gamers we report diagnosis of malaria infected red blood cells with an accuracy that is within 1.25% of the diagnostics decisions made by a trained medical professional.

Suggested Citation

  • Sam Mavandadi & Stoyan Dimitrov & Steve Feng & Frank Yu & Uzair Sikora & Oguzhan Yaglidere & Swati Padmanabhan & Karin Nielsen & Aydogan Ozcan, 2012. "Distributed Medical Image Analysis and Diagnosis through Crowd-Sourced Games: A Malaria Case Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(5), pages 1-8, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0037245
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037245
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0037245
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0037245&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0037245?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seth Cooper & Firas Khatib & Adrien Treuille & Janos Barbero & Jeehyung Lee & Michael Beenen & Andrew Leaver-Fay & David Baker & Zoran Popović & Foldit players, 2010. "Predicting protein structures with a multiplayer online game," Nature, Nature, vol. 466(7307), pages 756-760, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Li, Xiaoou & Chen, Yunxiao & Chen, Xi & Liu, Jingchen & Ying, Zhiliang, 2021. "Optimal stopping and worker selection in crowdsourcing: an adaptive sequential probability ratio test framework," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100873, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Konstantinos Mitsakakis & Sebastian Hin & Pie Müller & Nadja Wipf & Edward Thomsen & Michael Coleman & Roland Zengerle & John Vontas & Konstantinos Mavridis, 2018. "Converging Human and Malaria Vector Diagnostics with Data Management towards an Integrated Holistic One Health Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-26, February.
    3. repec:plo:pone00:0222579 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:plo:pone00:0071154 is not listed on IDEAS

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christoph Safferling & Aaron Lowen, 2011. "Economics in the Kingdom of Loathing: Analysis of Virtual Market Data," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2011-30, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    2. Prpić, John & Shukla, Prashant P. & Kietzmann, Jan H. & McCarthy, Ian P., 2015. "How to work a crowd: Developing crowd capital through crowdsourcing," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 77-85.
    3. repec:plo:pone00:0123811 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Kovacs, Attila, 2018. "Gender Differences in Equity Crowdfunding," OSF Preprints 5pcmb, Center for Open Science.
    5. repec:osf:osfxxx:5pcmb_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Khairul Aidil Azlin Abd Rahman, 2025. "Sustainable Consumption Design in Serious Games: A Consumer Behaviour Approach Using the SIPS Model ," GATR Journals jber255, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.
    7. Birgit Vanden Berghen & Iris Vanermen & Liesbet Vranken, 2024. "Citizen scientists: Unveiling motivations and characteristics influencing initial and sustained participation in an agricultural project," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(5), pages 1-25, May.
    8. Naihui Zhou & Zachary D Siegel & Scott Zarecor & Nigel Lee & Darwin A Campbell & Carson M Andorf & Dan Nettleton & Carolyn J Lawrence-Dill & Baskar Ganapathysubramanian & Jonathan W Kelly & Iddo Fried, 2018. "Crowdsourcing image analysis for plant phenomics to generate ground truth data for machine learning," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, July.
    9. repec:plo:pone00:0022431 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Spartaco Albertarelli & Piero Fraternali & Sergio Herrera & Mark Melenhorst & Jasminko Novak & Chiara Pasini & Andrea-Emilio Rizzoli & Cristina Rottondi, 2018. "A Survey on the Design of Gamified Systems for Energy and Water Sustainability," Games, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-34, June.
    11. Robert Swain & Alex Berger & Josh Bongard & Paul Hines, 2015. "Participation and Contribution in Crowdsourced Surveys," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Franzoni, Chiara & Sauermann, Henry, 2014. "Crowd science: The organization of scientific research in open collaborative projects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 1-20.
    13. repec:plo:pcbi00:1002072 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Sherwani, Y & Ahmed, M & Muntasir, M & El-Hilly, A & Iqbal, S & Siddiqui, S & Al-Fagih, Z & Usmani, O & Eisingerich, AB, 2015. "Examining the role of gamification and use of mHealth apps in the context of smoking cessation: A review of extant knowledge and outlook," Working Papers 25458, Imperial College, London, Imperial College Business School.
    15. repec:osf:socarx:jer9k_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Joanna Chataway & Sarah Parks & Elta Smith, 2017. "How Will Open Science Impact on University-Industry Collaboration?," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 11(2), pages 44-53.
    17. Ayat Abourashed & Laura Doornekamp & Santi Escartin & Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt & Maarten Schrama & Marlies Wagener & Frederic Bartumeus & Eric C. M. van Gorp, 2021. "The Potential Role of School Citizen Science Programs in Infectious Disease Surveillance: A Critical Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.
    18. Jennifer Lewis Priestley & Robert J. McGrath, 2019. "The Evolution of Data Science: A New Mode of Knowledge Production," International Journal of Knowledge Management (IJKM), IGI Global, vol. 15(2), pages 97-109, April.
    19. Vito D’Orazio & Michael Kenwick & Matthew Lane & Glenn Palmer & David Reitter, 2016. "Crowdsourcing the Measurement of Interstate Conflict," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, June.
    20. Yury Kryvasheyeu & Haohui Chen & Esteban Moro & Pascal Van Hentenryck & Manuel Cebrian, 2015. "Performance of Social Network Sensors during Hurricane Sandy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(2), pages 1-19, February.
    21. repec:plo:pone00:0117013 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Prpić, John, 2017. "How To Work A Crowd: Developing Crowd Capital Through Crowdsourcing," SocArXiv jer9k, Center for Open Science.
    23. Thomas Scott & Christian Alan Paul Smethurst & Yvonne Westermaier & Moriz Mayer & Peter Greb & Roland Kousek & Tobias Biberger & Gerd Bader & Zuzana Jandova & Philipp S. Schmalhorst & Julian E. Fuchs , 2025. "Drugit: crowd-sourcing molecular design of non-peptidic VHL binders," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    24. Siluo Yang & Dietmar Wolfram & Feifei Wang, 2017. "The relationship between the author byline and contribution lists: a comparison of three general medical journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(3), pages 1273-1296, March.
    25. Maryam Lotfian & Jens Ingensand & Maria Antonia Brovelli, 2021. "The Partnership of Citizen Science and Machine Learning: Benefits, Risks, and Future Challenges for Engagement, Data Collection, and Data Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-19, July.
    26. Jonathan R Karr & Alex H Williams & Jeremy D Zucker & Andreas Raue & Bernhard Steiert & Jens Timmer & Clemens Kreutz & DREAM8 Parameter Estimation Challenge Consortium & Simon Wilkinson & Brandon A Al, 2015. "Summary of the DREAM8 Parameter Estimation Challenge: Toward Parameter Identification for Whole-Cell Models," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0037245. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.