Internet as a tool for docter-to-docter communication

Workshop

s72

W8. Computers,

Web. Teledermatology applications that use digital images have become popular. Finally, an increasing number of CD-ROMs containing dermatological images have been developed. Resolution, compression, and colour depth of the images have to be optimized to enable fast access and to offer acceptable image quality. These important issues will be discussed in this lecture. References [I] Bittorf A, Bauer J, Simon M, Diepgen TL: Web CBT Modules in Dermatology. M.D. Computing 14: 371-381 (1997)

internet

and the dermatologist

dermatologists can communicate problems from there daily work to each other. Practically the communication takes place through a mailing list, where the questions are submitted to all on the list, who are free to answer when it is convenient. Members who have a CD-camera are able to submit pictures of a patient to ask the colleges for help with the diagnose or perhaps a reference. W8-4

Internet and the dermatologist

J.F. Stalder’, Ph. And&s’. I W8 2

Patient-doctor communication: Patients asking for medical advice on the highway a significant and unresolved problem of the Internet

G. Eysenbach, T.L. Diepgen. Friedrich-Alexander Erlangen, Erlangen,

Dept. of Dermatology, Hartmannstr: Germany (Email: [email protected])

Universitiit 14, D-91052

In three studies we tried to explore the motivation of patients and consumers to search the Internet for health related information, what they want to know and what they receive as an answer when asking clinical problems to doctors via unsolicited email. We used three innovative methods to explore these issues: Analysis of 206 patient emails sent to us, analysis of responses of 58 doctors confronted with a simulated clinical problem sent by a pretended patient email and a questionnaire survey among information providers to explore the attitude and policy of their handling of patient emails. We found examples for the beneficial effects of the provision of medical information on the World-Wide-Web but also evidence suggesting that patients are trying to use information on the Internet as a supplement for doctors and that teleadvice might be overused by chronically ill and frustrated patients looking desperately for additional information. Teleadvice via email could substitute a doctors visit or phone call in some cases, but many principal problems must be solved beforehand. There is no accepted policy among the medical community on how to handle unsolicited emails from patients, thus reactions to a simulated medical problem sent to doctors and webmasters reached from non-reply to extensive advice. For patients, approaching doctors via email is not a very success-promising approach to get medical advice; although doctors may be able to tele-diagnose a clinical problem, they are not always willing to do so.

W8-3 Internet as a tool for dotter-to-dotter communication P. Larsen. The dermatological DK-8OOOAarhus.

clinic

Guldsmedgade

1,

Denmark

Since November 1995 Danish dermatologists has been able to communicate through a homepage: Danderm (http://www. danderm-pdv.is.kkh.dk/). The service was made by an initiative of Gerda Frentz and Mads Nielsen and has since been maintained by Mods Nielsen. It contains information about Danish dermatologists and members can submit meeting referees to benefit for all. It also contains links to other sites of dermatological interest including other dermatological homepages around the word. Since 1997 we have a password protected side, where

Nantes,

‘Department

of Dermatology

CHU

France

Internet is the largest network of connected computers and is becoming the ultimate frontier to access information for health providers. Through multiples possibilities, electronic mailing, discussion groups, files transfer, image data base... this new communication technology become a useful educationnal resources for the dermatologist. Numerous Web sites dedicated to Dermatology are now avaliable allowing research and retrieval of educational material. Through pratical examples, principal applications of Internet for the Dermatologist will be developped. W8-5

The easy HTML: How to create the Web of your department

Ramon Grimalt. Hospital

CXnic,

University

of Barcelona,

Spain

Most new versions of text processors (Microsoft Word, Core1 WordPerfect, Claris Works..), both in Mac and PC, offer the option of saving the already written text in HTML. So, all the information that you already have in your computer and that you would like to show in your web site can be done straight. Then, using your common browsers (Netscape, Explorer...), or more sophisticated engines (Fetch) you shall be able to publish this data to your server using a common RP (File Transfer Protocol) system. Most text editors are also able to edit HTML files, so the opposite way is also possible. If you save (download) on your computer an already created web page, you shall be able to edit it using a common text editor to “see” what others have written (using HTML) to create that particular effect. In other words, the possibility of opening the belly of the files to see what is happening in side them, has change the chances to the non-experts on introducing themselvers on the world of creating web sites. Most computer programs and motors are totally unreadable to the eyes of the non-expert. New “visual basic” and “java” options have slightly simplified this problem. HTML is an extremely easy way of reconsidering the possibility of not being a “user”.

1W8-6 Dermis - Results of field trial by family practitioners R.E. Ashton, H.R. Smith. Royal Hampshire,

Hospital

Haslar;

Gosport,

UK

DERMIS is a computerised diagnostic advice system based on a database of the clinical history and features of over 5000