Xây dựng cơ sở dữ liệu hình ảnh lưỡi chuẩn hóa cho giảng dạy thiệt chẩn tại Khoa Y học Cổ truyền, Đại học Y Dược Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Traditional medicine relies heavily on diagnostic methods such as tongue diagnosis, a crucial tool for assessing internal organ conditions and overall health. However, the subjective nature of interpretation and the lack of standardized training resources pose significant challenges to its effective teaching and practice. This study addresses these issues by developing a standardized tongue image database designed to enhance education in tongue diagnosis at the Faculty of Traditional Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. The initiative aims to provide a reliable, objective, and reproducible learning platform, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and fostering a more consistent understanding among future practitioners of traditional medicine. This development is vital for modernizing traditional medicine education and ensuring high-quality patient care.

Students, lecturers, and researchers in Traditional Medicine, particularly those focused on diagnostic methods like tongue diagnosis and medical education.

This study details the development and evaluation of a standardized tongue image database specifically for teaching tongue diagnosis within traditional medicine. Recognizing the inherent subjectivity and lack of standardized tools in traditional tongue diagnosis, the research established a robust methodology involving three key phases. First, 120 high-quality tongue images were meticulously collected under standardized conditions, ensuring consistency and clarity. In the second phase, five experienced traditional medicine experts independently evaluated these images, establishing diagnostic labels for eight distinct tongue features based on majority consensus. This rigorous process guaranteed the reliability and objectivity of the dataset. The final phase assessed the educational effectiveness of this newly developed database. A group of 132 traditional medicine students, after receiving training using the database, underwent an 80-question diagnostic test. Their performance was then compared to that of five experienced lecturers. Remarkably, statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between the students' and lecturers' mean diagnostic scores across all eight features. This outcome strongly indicates that the standardized database is an exceptionally effective educational tool, enabling students to achieve diagnostic proficiency comparable to seasoned practitioners. The successful establishment and validated utility of this database represent a significant step towards standardizing and modernizing tongue diagnosis training, offering a visual, simplified, and repeatable learning experience that enhances understanding of complex diagnostic criteria and ultimately contributes to improved patient care in traditional medicine.