Luleå University of Technology
When Luleå University of Technology adopted Sectra’s cloud-based education portal in 2022, hands-on guidance, tailored workshops, and ongoing support ensured a smooth implementation. For Sara Larsson, lecturer in the radiography program, this support was key to integrating the portal into her remote teaching. The Sectra Education Portal has since become an integral part of the program, which is conducted almost entirely online. It provides students with access to high-quality medical images and interactive tools—better preparing them for clinical practice.
Luleå University of Technology (or Luleå tekniska universitet in Swedish) is a public research university located in Luleå, Sweden. It hosts approximately 18,700 students and employs around 1,900 staff members. The university implemented Sectra’s cloud-based platform for medical education, Sectra Education Portal, in April 2022 and has been using it since then to educate radiography students, both at the university and remotely. It provides them with a multidisciplinary library of real patient images and advanced visualization tools, as well as the option to add their own clinical cases to a private space.
Sectra Education Portal used in lectures at Luleå University of Technology.
Sara Larsson has been a lecturer at the university’s radiography program for 13 years, and she has been using Sectra’s education portal in her lectures since its implementation. The program is delivered as distance learning, with lectures, discussions, and examinations conducted online. Students gather on campus for one or two weeks each semester for in-person sessions.
“I use the portal mostly in my remote teaching for image seminars. I work almost exclusively with my own imported cases as I want a referral connected to the case. This allows students to first analyze the images on their own, then compare their findings after reading the referral. It’s a great way to highlight the importance of clinical context,” Larsson explains.
She also uses the built-in anatomy and lesson tools to create exam questions and illustrate anatomical structures. “When students learn topography—understanding the relationship between organs and the anatomical structure—there is nothing better than 3D rendered images. The portal provides that.”
The support from Sectra has been super. I have absolutely nothing to complain about. We received answers quickly and felt listened to. Henrik, our dedicated Customer Success Manager from Sectra, even came here to Luleå to support me on my first lectures and Sectra set up monthly workshops for us to learn the portal.
Before switching to the portal, she relied on JPEGs, which limited the quality of image discussions. “As you can imagine, the image quality was poor. The ability to zoom, adjust lighting, and explore 3D anatomy has made a big difference. Even students noticed the improvement in image quality and quickly adapted to the new way of working.”
As the Sectra Education Portal is delivered as a SaaS (Software as a Service), Sectra took full responsibility for the implementation and operation of the system, as well as providing a dedicated Customer Success Manager who offers personalized guidance every step of the way. From initial setup to best practices and ongoing support, this was especially valuable, Larsson notes, as the time outside of teaching is limited, making it difficult to find the time to learn new systems.
“The support from Sectra has been super. I have absolutely nothing to complain about. We received answers quickly and felt listened to. Henrik, our dedicated Customer Success Manager from Sectra, even came here to Luleå to support me on my first lectures and Sectra set up monthly workshops for us to learn the portal.”
I feel that the students have become more independent since using the portal, especially during their hospital placements. They recognize the interface, which is similar to the Sectra system used in hospitals. That familiarity gives them confidence and reduces the learning curve, as well as better prepares them for future professional environments.
Even though they could run the program remotely before, the portal has made it easier. Larsson mentions that the portal has been a huge boost for distance learning. Apart from allowing the sharing and discussion of images in a way that was not possible before, she also points out that it is especially valuable when they don’t have a hospital nearby. It also optimizes the students’ practical time spent out on the hospital sites.
“I feel that the students have become more independent since using the portal, especially during their hospital placements. They recognize the interface, which is similar to the Sectra system used in hospitals. That familiarity gives them confidence and reduces the learning curve, as well as better prepares them for future professional environments.”
She adds: “We also have a clinically active radiologist affiliated with our program who works part-time with us. She was able to start using the portal in her teaching right away, which made things much easier for us. No training was needed, and she has also imported a large number of patient images.”
In the future, Larsson hopes to dedicate more time to setting up her own lessons in the portal, allowing her to keep all her teaching materials in one place. She also plans to explore more of its features: “My colleague has been creating quizzes for students directly in the portal—something I’d like to try as well to make my teaching even more interactive and engaging.”
A subscription-based SaaS solution that provides advanced visualization tools and a multidisciplinary library of real anatomy and clinical cases that can be used in the beginning of a medical education degree all the way through to residency training. It ties in anatomy, histopathology, radiology, trauma, orthopaedics, oncology, surgery and other specialties.
