Association for
Veterinary Informatics
NEWSLETTER

May-June, 1996

Noell Moseley (Memphis, TN) - President; Harmon Rogers (Lake Stevens, WA) - President-Elect; James T. Case (UC-Davis) - Secretary Treasurer; Ronald D. Smith (Illinois) - Newsletter Editor.

IN THIS ISSUE

ASSOCIATION NEWS
CORRESPONDENCE
- Online Conferencing
INFORMATICS IN THE VETERINARY CURRICULUM
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY/REVIEWS/COMPARISONS
- Grateful Med on the Internet
- Netscape Unveils Navigator 3.0
INTERNET RESOURCES
NEWS AND COMMENTARY
MEETINGS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
SUGGESTED READING
- Simulation Modelling Textbooks
CLOSING BITS
- Laptops as "The Sole Machine"

ASSOCIATION NEWS

From the AVI Newsletter Editor

This issue's feature article is a virtual panel discussion on informatics in the veterinary curriculum. It was compiled from VETINFO (now called AVI-L) listerv archives by Dr. E. Stan Miller, who initiated the online discussion. Dr. Miller had the foresight to open the discussion with a series of specific questions. Thus, although responses may have appeared in a "nonlinear" fashion, it was possible for him to organize them around the questions that he originally posed.

Considering the pace at which computing and information science is being incorporated into biomedical and other enterprises worldwide, the relative unfamiliarity of veterinary graduates with this technology has to be one of the most glaring deficiencies in current veterinary curricula. This is a deficiency which every AVI member can help to address, regardless of his or her discipline.

AVI Events and the July AVMA Meeting, Louisville, KY
From: Noell Moseley, AVI President <74232.25@compuserve.com>

Monday, July 22, 1996

9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Richard B. Talbot Informatics Symposium

9:00 am - 10:00 am "Veterinary Informatics--The Best Kept Secret"
Dr. Ronald D. Smith, University of Illinois

10:00 am - 10:45 am Break

10:45 am - 11:45 am "Multimedia for the Masses"
Dr. Harmon Rogers, Snohomish, WA

11:45 am - 1:00 pm Lunch Break

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm "Grateful Med, Easy Access to the Veterinary Literature in MEDLINE"
Ms. Dena K. Plaisted, National Network of Libraries of Medicine

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm "Life-long Learning"
Dr. Robin Starr, Hershey Medical Center

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm "The Internet Revisited"
Dr. Kenneth R. Boschert, Washington University

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - AVI Committee Meetings

Tuesday, July 23, 1996

10 a.m. - 12 noon - Working Group meetings

Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) - Broadway
<http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/avicai/avicai.html>

Practice Mgmt - Jefferson
Computerized Medical Records (CMR) - Louisville
Communications - Graham

12 noon - 2 p.m. - AVI Business Meeting and Luncheon - Broadway A

How to Contact AVI

Applications for membership, accompanied by a check for $35 payable to the AVI, should be sent to:

Dr. James T. Case; Secretary Treasurer, AVI; 2742 Concord Ave.; Davis, CA 95616
Phone: 916/752-4408; FAX: 916/752-5680; e-mail: JimCase@aol.com

Dr. Case is responsible for distribution of the hardcopy version of the AVI Newsletter.

Newsletter items can be sent to:

Dr. Ronald D. Smith, Newsletter Editor, AVI; UI College of Veterinary Medicine; 2001 South Lincoln; Urbana, IL 61801.
Phone: 217/333-2449; FAX: 217/333-4628; e-mail: rd-smith@uiuc.edu

If you are an AVI member and would like to be on the AVI Newsletter electronic distribution list, send an e-mail message to the Newsletter Editor. Although the electronic version is only an ASCII (text) file, it's faster, searchable, easier to store and retrieve, and environmentally friendly.

AVI members can also find current and past issues of the Newsletter on the Web at the following URL: http://netvet.wustl.edu/avi.htm.

CORRESPONDENCE

Online Conferencing
From: Ken Boschert <ken@wudcm.wustl.edu>

....the computer (network) world is changing so fast.....how soon before we're holding our own VETINFO video conference? Maybe we can discuss some standards. :-) Ken

INTEL VIDEO-PHONE TECHNOLOGY FOR HOME PC - Intel says that hundreds of thousands of personal computers with video-phone capabilities will be sold this year and millions more soon thereafter. Using Pentium chips and compression software, the systems could transmit and receive video and audio information simultaneously over standard phone lines, with images at 4 to 12 frames a second. (New York Times 30 May 96 C2)

NCSA HOPES HABANERO'S HOT - The National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, birthplace of the Mosaic Web browser, has developed another Web application that it hopes will take the Web one step further -- into collaboration. Habanero -- named for the hottest chili pepper around -- will allow users in different locations to access a Web site and perform real-time group activities, such as editing or developing a spreadsheet. NCSA will distribute the software free, just as it did with Mosaic, in the hope that others will use the program to design their own collaborative applications. (Wall Street Journal 30 May 96 B4)

MICROSOFT'S BROWSER GETS NEW FEATURES - Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser is getting a new look. New versions will include groupware software called NetMeeting, which allows PCs in various locations to simultaneously work on the same applications program for collaborative editing. In addition, will be capable of facilitating audioconferencing over the Internet, a feature recently announced by Netscape in its Navigator software. (Wall Street Journal 29 May 96 B5)

INFORMATICS IN THE VETERINARY CURRICULUM

Feature Article compiled and edited
from a thread running 20 Nov. 1995 to 8 Dec. 1995
on the VETINFO (Veterinary Informatics) Mailing List
archived files "VETINFO LOG9511" & "VETINFO LOG9512"

by

E Stan Miller

Lecturer in Immunology & Veterinary Tropical Diseases
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases
Faculty of Veterinary Science
P/Bag X04, Onderstepoort. 0110, South Africa
Tel: +27 12 529 8229 (Office), Fax: +27 12 529 8312
Internet: INFEK1@OP1.UP.AC.ZA

Panel Members (in alphabetical order)

Gary L. Borkowski, Barbara Bernoff Cavanaugh, Charles A Cohen,
Norma Funkhouser, Robert A. Holmes, E. Stan Miller, David E. Moxley
Jim Self, Ronald D. Smith, Duane Steward, Mitsuko Williams

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Experiences with Veterinary Informatics in the Curriculum?
3. Course Name?
4. Current Textbooks & References for Veterinary Informatics?
5. Where Does This Fit Into the Veterinary Curriculum?
6. With Which Departments or Veterinary Subjects Can It Be Grouped?
7. Use of the Modern Library & Veterinary Information Resources
8. Essential Content of a Course in Veterinary Informatics?
9. Contact Details of Contributors (Alphabetically By Firstname)
10. Any Further Opinions?

1. INTRODUCTION

With the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort, South Africa now busy doing a total overhaul of its BVSc curriculum, some pertinent questions on the inclusion of informatics in the curriculum were put to members of VETINFO - Veterinary Informatics Discussion List <VETINFO@WUVMD.WUSTL.EDU> on November 20, 1995 by Dr ES Miller <infek1@op1.up.ac.za>. The ensuing dialogue, compiled and edited from VETINFO archives by Dr. Miller, appears below.

2. EXPERIENCES WITH VETERINARY INFORMATICS IN THE CURRICULUM?

GARY: Computer courses for undergraduates are becoming more common at Penn State in many of the disciplines. For undergraduates in the biological sciences, John Waters and I have started a course entitled "Computer Applications in the Biological Sciences." The OnLine course syllabus can be viewed at:

http://www.bio.psu.edu/courses/497c/497C.HTM.

NORMA: Another "Librarian Lurker" prompted to speak up on this subject! At TEXAS A&M our 4th year professional students all take a required rotation in computer literacy. This course will be moving to the third year in 1997. Dr. Jim Snell co-ordinates the 35 hours of work and covers basic computer hardware/software, Windows 3.1 (soon to be replaced with Windows 95), presentation software, spreadsheets, and diagnostic assist programs.

I have a joint appointment in the Dept of Veterinary Anatomy & Public Health, where the informatics rotation is based, and team-teach with Jim, covering the use of the Internet for email and veterinary discussion groups (students are strongly urged to join either the VetMed-L or Jeff Parke's Vetplus-L), veterinary information on the WWW, and literature searching using CAB Abstracts on CD-ROM, available via our LAN, and Medline/BIOSIS/Current Contents available with the OVID search interface available campus-wide.

Students download searches and use bibliographic management software (Reference Manager from RIS, Inc.) to create personal databases and print bibliographies. We also have sponsored passwords for AOL for the students to use VIN and CompuServe for access to NOAH. I demo each, recommending the students do a comparison.

The Medical Sciences Library has another veterinary librarian who teaches literature searching skills in a section of a new first year course and also attends clinical rounds in small animal medicine and equine medicine. She also reviews how to find clinical information as a part of a Community Practice rotation. Another librarian attends rounds in small animal surgery.

All in all, we are trying our best to keep the students aware of how to go about finding information. Expertise comes with practice and with systems and software changing so rapidly, awareness is probably the best we can do at this point. The library is in the midst of planning a continuing education course for practitioners in Texas on using computer mediated communications and literature searching. Hopefully that will help bring veterinarians across the state up to speed on the "Information Superhighway!"

DAVID: The University of Missouri offers a flexible program to train postdoctoral and predoctoral candidates for an academic career in health informatics. A three-month fellowship for medical and veterinary students desiring a short research experience is also offered.

The training program and curriculum prepares individuals to develop, use, and evaluate applications of innovative information methods and computers in the health care environment. The program emphasises the synthesis, retrieval, organisation, and effective management and communication of knowledge. <snip> <snip>

For further information visit their homepage at

http://www.hsc.missouri.edu/MIGTRAINING/DOCS/MIGHOME.HTML

and/or contact: Joyce A. Mitchell, Ph.D., Director and Professor, Medical Informatics Group, Associate Dean, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, 605 Lewis Hall, Columbia, MO 65211

Phone: 573-882-6966 FAX: 884-4270 <joyce_a._mitchell@muccmail.missouri.edu>

DUANE: You might find the following URL of interest:

http://medg.lcs.mit.edu/courses/6893-S95/6893.html

It regards a course taught by Peter Szolovits at MIT on Medical Computing and has some good pointers.

RON: If you have access to a WWW browser you might check out my online paper entitled "What's on the Information Superhighway for Veterinarians"

<http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/announcements/infohwy.htm>

I include pointers to CONSULTANT, NetVet, and other relevant sites. I'm continually updating it and would appreciate new links from readers.

STAN: I found above-named WWW paper VERY USEFUL but I'm sure there must be other vet. schools with similar courses who could add considerably to our information base - and benefit all interested in Veterinary Informatics.

3. COURSE NAME?

STAN: What would one call such a graduate subject/course? `Veterinary Informatics' or `Veterinary Computer- & Communication skills'.

CHUCK: There should perhaps be a few courses offered via the veterinary college and in co-ordination with the university. In my outline just published in DVM Magazine I suggested that veterinarians interested in a career track for research-institutions-academia should have a more formal set of veterinary informatics courses that revolved around computer science, use of institutional type of software, and presentation media.

STAN: For our 5.5 years long BVSc course students spend their first year at the Main Campus of the Univ. of Pretoria (25 Km from Onderstepoort) so one could, perhaps, bring the computer basics/literacy in there. However, distance could be an impediment for our combination courses and development at any vet. school, rather than at a main campus, will strengthen vet. informatics at all levels which is essential for our profession!

CHUCK: Nothing so special about my recent articles... <snip> <snip> ...there has been some very solid support. From Jim Case at UC Davis who believes that "veterinary medicine needs to visit it's roots." From Kent Kruse, formerly executive director of Impromed Software; by Tom Cantazano, a DVM consultant from Colorado; and many others. The first article was in fact in the July Veterinary Forum - a Commentary that discussed `A Profession in Need'. In fact that article brought a more in depth discussion to the surface and helped me get to the point I'm at now with the December DVM Magazine Commentary. I don't know what they'll title it. But in that I talk about the outline I mentioned to you.

I don't think it takes a genius to analyse American veterinary medical practice. It does take a paradigm shift, however, to make a difference. We'll all have to see what happens.

STAN: Agreed, but fixing several details (e.g., when does the student decide on his future direction; our - younger - students are, mostly, not sure on what exactly they intend doing within vet. science one day......)

CHUCK: Veterinarians headed off to a clinical practice track should have courses built around an information systems (vs. science) approach. Here a knowledge of applications, online communications, the Net & Web, and telecommunications could be developed. Practical stuff.

STAN: Agreed with in general - but two serious disadvantages would then remain: (1) the further separation of the vet. academe/ivory tower from real vet. practice, and (2). the further splitting of the vet. profession into smaller, unsustainable (perhaps not in the US, but in many other countries, definitely) groupings.

How much teaching of veterinary teachers is done in any vet. school anywhere - and how are the professional vet. teachers compensated? (compared to professional vet. researchers........) The above are all very factual points and, I'm sure, as relevant for our continuing curriculation as in those in other countries. We are, of course, considering all these alternatives but - as you well know - changing the core curriculum (especially) takes some doing. Although, as you say, the core need not be changed so extensively. We are now, in the New South Africa of course, very lucky to be able to 'take the gap' - subjects such as "Veterinary extension and community involvement" should also now be considered for our curriculum - possibly as electives.

DUANE: If we don't use the terminology, how are we to expect the profession to adopt it? Are you intending to teach computer skills? communication skills? or informatics skills? That should answer your question. Another perspective: Would you call a cardiology course `Veterinary ECG and Stethoscope Skills' ? or a radiology course, `Veterinary X-ray Machine Skills' or a pathology course, `Veterinary Knife, Saw & Microscope Skills'?

4. CURRENT TEXTBOOKS & REFERENCES FOR VETERINARY INFORMATICS?

STAN: What are the preferred current textbooks & references for Vet. Informatics? I have lost the very extensive list (in hardcopy) supplied by Craig Carter some years ago, but this is, at least, what I presently have listed (as gleaned from earlier AVCS newsletters (under Suggested Reading) - many thanks to all who were so kind as to supply these!):

4.1. BENSON, T & NEAME, R, (19??), "Healthcare Computing, a guide to health information management and systems", Published by Longman Information & Reference. Longman Group Limited, Westgate House, The High, Harlow, Essex CM20 1YR, UK. Tel: (0279) 442601 fax: (0279) 444501.

4.2. GREENES, R A., SHORTLIFFE, E H., (1990), Medical Informatics, An Emerging Academic Discipline and Institutional Priority, Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb. 23, Vol. 263, No. 8: 1114- 1120.

4.3. OSHEROFF, J A., "Computers in Clinical Practice. Managing patients, information, and communication." , American College of Physicians. Tel: 1-800-523-1546 x 2600. Regular phone number: 1-215-351-2600.

4.4. SHORTLIFFE E H, PERREAULT L E, (1990), Medical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care, Addison-Wesley Publ. Comp. Is the newer edition available yet?

CHUCK: Textbooks for the computer science folks are obviously a necessity. They are for the clinical practice folks to a degree; however, it would be great to see subscription to periodicals included in the course work. I have learned more from reading PC Magazine and Byte over the years than outdated hardcopy could ever provide.

STAN: I agree wholeheartedly that the Vet. library should have several PC Magazines such as those you suggest - I have, in previous years, donated my 'read' copies to our library and will do so again following your comment (our library budget will not supply those general magazines - during the last few years even our vet. magazines have been cut due to budget cuts).

CHUCK: Informatics can be taught as it's own courses; however, it seems to me that incorporation of software processes should be pervasive throughout the curriculum. The problem is not so much where to incorporate it as to getting teachers up to speed on software and hardware solutions and being able to head students off to web sites and mail lists so that they can be part of the scene.

STAN: The human factor - not so easy to solve! Our students (not all, of course!) are moving faster than many of the lecturing staff towards vet. informatics. In a class of 100 second year students I, in 1995, had 10 to 15 using the Internet. In the Immunology course I teach, ALL students will be expected to use the Email facilities during the second half of 1996. Wish me luck!

JIM SELF: I know of no better current model than the Web (HTML, HTTP, etc.) for the rapid development and deployment of useable standards.

I followed the link <http://www.medg.lcs.mit.edu> (see Duane Steward's comment under item #8 below - Editor) and checked out the medweb demo. They have a demonstration HIS database using Oracle with HTTP interface. Particularly interesting was a paper by Peter Szolovits at http://luke.lcs.mit.edu/medweb/IAHIT.html

By providing concrete examples to open scrutiny and discussion on the Web, this sort of effort could greatly accelerate the development of medical records standards. This approach is, I believe, the essential ingredient in the incredible rate of development of the Web itself.

I hope to follow M.I.T's example in the very near future and put up a demo Web version of our HIS records. We currently have password access on the Web to VMTH Visit Summaries and diagnostic reports, but no publicly available demonstration data.

STAN: JA Self and other vets have been leading the way on several fields of biomedical informatics, e.g. Dr Adrian Longstaffe and his team at the CTI Centre for Medicine, Bristol, UK is just one excellent example. But, more than just letting some other 'crazy colleague with stacks of time' do what he/she deems necessary, every vet should, ideally, become involved in promoting veterinary communications and, at the same time, our profession world-wide. Interested colleagues might want to have a look at what's been frustrating us in Africa and how we have advanced - see our recent article 'Electronic communication in Africa - the promotion of animal health information dissemination.' by Erica E van der Westhuizen & E Stan Miller in `The Electronic Library', Vol. 13, No. 4, August 1995, p299-307.

BOB: Textbook on vet. informatics in progress. Is anyone going to the North American Vet Conference. in Orlando? I have submitted the outline of the textbook to Elsevier and they are interested and would like to meet with any and all at the conference so that more detailed plans can be made. If anyone is going and could meet with the Elsevier people, please let me know - preferably tomorrow = Thursday, Jan 4, 1995.

5. WHERE DOES THIS FIT INTO THE VETERINARY CURRICULUM?

STAN: Preclinical; 2nd yr. - Introduction & Practical Computer use? Postclinical - Application of Vet. informatics?

6. WITH WHICH DEPARTMENTS OR VETERINARY SUBJECTS CAN IT BE GROUPED?

STAN: Vet. Ethology, Practice management, Tropical diseases/Epidemiology, Medicine, Herd health?

7. USE OF THE MODERN LIBRARY & VETERINARY INFORMATION RESOURCES
(e.g., Should this subject be part of the course or should it be given before a course in Vet. Informatics?)

CHUCK: Should be taught to students via undergraduate days; but, that said, it becomes an ongoing way of life to tell folks where to find things and give them some hardcopy directions and let them go at it.

STAN: Our students get an excellent local 'short-course' (including hardcopy and hands-on training) in library use during their second year(i.e. their first year at this vet. campus) and this includes some computer contact but time limits this! In the end some students USE the library but others still lag behind - hopefully increasing OnLine access of relevant (globally?) vet multimedia/HTML material will improve the situation!

BARBARA: I'm a Librarian Lurker on this list, and I don't believe anyone has mentioned yet that information retrieval skills (e.g., computerised literature searching) would be an excellent component to such a course. This would still fall under "Informatics," which I believe was suggested as a course title.

MITZI: I am a bit slow reading all the messages that fill my mailbox, but thought you may like knowing that in VIN (Veterinary Information Network) available on America Online, there is a strong contingency of veterinary informatics group. I am not a member of it, but am in close contact with Dr. Ronald Smith who is at my institution and is an active member of the group. Here at the University of Illinois Vet. Med. Library, we give hands-on session on how to use various electronic sources. This is required for every new student, and since we limit the number of students to just 4-5, we have to give 20+ sessions each fall semester. Basic computer skills are taught in other classes--for example, Dr. Smith teaches computer literacy each year. I think the number of students taking the course may be declining as each new class of vet students seems to have better computer understanding and skills than those in previous years. I was looking forward to be a part of the informatics course Dr. Smith proposed this year. Unfortunately, not enough students signed up, so it was cancelled. I'm sure we will try again. My plan for that course was to teach students how to creating a personal filing system and how to manage references downloaded from various sources, not just how to search them.

(Editor's note: My Computer Literacy course continues to draw more than 90% of our professional students. The informatics course that Mitzi referred to is a gradudate level course. A revised version, "Essentials of Biomedical Informatics", is awaiting campus approval, after which it will be formally offered. RD Smith)

8. ESSENTIAL CONTENT OF A COURSE IN VETERINARY INFORMATICS

STAN: Introduction to Computers (many of our students are not computer literate by the time they start our BVSc course) and their Vet. Applications: Attaining Computer Literacy: Introduction to Using Computers, Word-processing & Electronic Writing skills, Spreadsheets, Database Management & Electronic Resource Management, Computer graphics, multimedia & HTML (probably more important to the teacher/academic than the general vet?), Modern Veterinary Computer-Mediated Communications (VC-MC), Continuing Vet. Professional Development, Geographical information systems, Advances in computer technology?

DUANE: In this current age of WWW explosion HTML and other Web skills should be included. The web portion of the recent course, "Successful Information Technology" on VIN was by far of the most interest to practitioners. Much of the popular activity in the human field centers around web mediated activity including medical records accessed. In particular there is more than one project to accessing in a single window the agglutination of all the medical data from multiple hospitals a single patient may have visited. There is even a demo of ours on the web (http://www.medg.lcs.mit.edu). There are just too many additional things going on with WWW mediated access to regard it as non-essential to medical informatics. I claim that what happens in human medicine will be expected of us soon enough.

STAN: Would you then suggest that the veterinarian only be taught to USE the Web (including all other information resources - what I referred to as Cont. Vet. Prof. Development = CE) or also writing/authoring in HTML (at least in its more recent versions or in Java)? I'm very sorry I (and most non-USA veterinarians, of course) missed that course on VIN.

DUANE: In addition, I don't see anything listed on the topics of Computer Aided Diagnosis. Even if we don't see it used much in practice yet, I suggest it is important to teach why or why not that should be so. It is a tremendous learning experience to compare our way of diagnostic reasoning to the discoveries unearthed in the historic pursuit of this technology. What's more, the impact medical computer aided diagnosis has had on artificial intelligence is too big to leave out. We can expect further progress to occur there as well. If you are in the business of preparing students for a rapidly changing future, this is further justified.

There are additional areas of "decision support" that we don't yet see much in such syllabi. The most remarkable is Decision Analysis, particularly as developed by the group headed by Steve Pauker MD, PhD at Tufts. We owe it to ourselves to learn more of this technology and begin the process of training our profession. As far as I know Ron Smith at U of Illinois has done a little with this and is the only veterinary implementation I know of so far.

STAN: But my question is still if there are (at least) some vet. informatics specialists who would be able to do the teaching for this - or do we use medical, computer or other experts? Vet. professional regulatory councils and educational bodies are harming the development of the vet profession by taking much too long to make such specialists registerable; especially in this very fast developing speciality of Vet. Informatics. Furthermore, in most countries the low total numbers of vets precludes their having various 'Specialists' registries - the market just does not allow it; so we depend on the AVMA to pave the way.

9. CONTACT DETAILS OF CONTRIBUTORS

BARBARA - Barbara Bernoff Cavanaugh <bbc@pobox.upenn.edu>
Health Sciences Libraries Liaison, Univ. of PA, Biomedical Library; 36th & Hamilton Walk; Phila., PA 19104-6060

BOB - Robert A. Holmes, DVM, PhD" <vtholm@lsuvax.sncc.lsu.edu>

CHUCK - Charles A Cohen, DVM <74232.41@compuserve.com>
New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine, Inc.; Branford, Conn.

DAVID - David E. Moxley, <David_E._Moxley@muccmail.missouri.edu>
Health Informatics Training at the University of Missouri - see the Nov-Dec, 1995 AVCS Newsletter.

DUANE - Duane Steward, DVM, MSIE <duane@mit.edu>
Fellow in Medical Informatics; Clinical Decision Making Group; Laboratory for Computer Science; M.I.T.; NE43-415; 545 Technology Square; Cambridge, MA., 02139
URL: http://medg.lcs.mit.edu/people/duane/duanespg.html

GARY - Gary L. Borkowski, DVM, MS <GLEEBORK@aol.com; glb5@psu.edu>
Laboratory Animal Resources Program; 101 Centralized Biological Lab; Penn State University; University Park, PA 16802-4803 T:814-865-1495, F:814-865-3685.

JIM SELF - James A. Self <jaself@ucdavis.edu>
Systems Developer/Manager; UCD VMTH Computer Services; Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital; University of California; Davis, CA

MITZI - Mitsuko Williams <mwillms1@uiuc.edu>
Veterinary Medicine Librarian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

NORMA - Norma Funkhouser, MLIS, AHIP <nfunkhouser@vetmed.tamu.edu>
Veterinary Information Specialist; Medical Sciences Library / VAPH; Texas A&M University; College Station, TX 77843

RON - Ronald D. Smith DVM, PhD. <rd-smith@UIUC.EDU> Voice: (217) 333-2449, FAX: (217) 244-7421 Director of Medical Informatics, College of Veterinary Medicine. 2001 South Lincoln Avenue. University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 6180. http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu

STAN - Stan E Miller: Lecturer in Immunology & Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Dept. Vet. Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, P/Bag X04, Onderstepoort. 0110. South Africa Tel: +27 12 529 8229 (Office), +27 12 573841 (Home) Fax: +27 12 529 8312. Internet: INFEK1@OP1.UP.AC.ZA

10. ANY FURTHER OPINIONS?

This discussion continues on the AVI-listserver and, for the shy ones among us, I will welcome any exchanges of ideas on this theme - Stan

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY/REVIEWS/COMPARISONS

Grateful Med on the Internet
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

The National Library of Medicine's Grateful Med electronic retrieval service is moving to the Internet, making the vast storehouse of electronic databases available via the Web. The service, dubbed Internet Grateful Med, does not require users to have any special software, and will be priced per character shipped, with a typical physician's search costing about $1.25. Would-be users need to sign up for the service and receive a user-ID code and a password. < http://igm.nlm.nih.gov/ > or 800-638-8480. (Chronicle of Higher Education 26 Apr 96 A25)

Netscape Unveils Navigator 3.0
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

Trying to stay one step ahead of Microsoft, Netscape announced a new version of its Navigator Web browser, just three months after the last one. Navigator 3.0 includes features such as software for making phone calls over the Internet, a "shared whiteboard," enabling users in different locations to collaborate on a document, and 3D graphics. The new browser will also link to the VeriSign service to provide security for electronic commerce. (Wall Street Journal 29 Apr 96 B7)

INTERNET RESOURCES

EpiVetNet - Veterinary Epidemiologists on the Web
From: Roger Morris <R.S.Morris@massey.ac.nz>

At the Seventh International Symposium for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics in Nairobi in 1994, it was agreed that Massey University would set up a World Wide Web site to act as a focus for exchange of information in veterinary epidemiology and economics.

The site, EpiVetNet, is now publicly available at the URL address

http://epiweb.massey.ac.nz

after a trial period in unofficial operation. It is designed to complement the discussion forum provided by Epivet-L with a mechanism for obtaining access to information, public-domain software, teaching materials and other items of interest to veterinary epidemiologists, economists and others with related interests.

The intention is to act as a starting point for anyone requiring information in our field of activity. Users will see that the web pages already have links to a range of other sites around the world. For those people who are unable to create their own websites, we would be willing to hold reasonable quantities of information on our physical site. However, it is much more efficient for others to create local sites, and provide us with the site details, so that we can build links to their sites from the EpiVetNet home page.

In part to demonstrate what we have in mind for other sites to contribute, and because we have the necessary information on hand, we have built the first stages of Massey University's own Veterinary Epidemiology web page at the URL address

http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwvetsci/epihome.htm

providing information on current research programs, educational opportunities, software projects and other activities. We would encourage other groups to be creative in informing people of their activities in a broadly similar way.

If we all contribute information and keep it current, we should have an excellent information resource to keep us up-to-date on developments around the world.

People who wish to establish links from EpiVetNet should send details to Dirk Pfeiffer at D.U.Pfeiffer@massey.ac.nz. People, who would like to have material physically stored on our server, should also provide details in advance. Any documents intended to be read directly with a web browser software should be provided in HTML format, as we cannot provide a full service of converting material to web pages. If this is a problem, we can advise on how to do it.

We would also like to hear from you if you have suggestions for improvements and especially the response time which you are getting when trying to connect to the web page. If there is a response problem, we would like you to compare it with the access to the page for our epidemiology group (address provided above) which is stored on a different more centrally located server. Please let us know about your experiences !!

As EpiVetNet also maintains a list of electronic mail addresses (obtained from the listserver running Epivet-L), please let us know if you would like to be included in or excluded from our database, and if there are any address corrections necessary.

We have used Internet Assistant for Microsoft Word Version 2.0z, an add-in for Microsoft Word for Windows 95, to create the web pages. They will look best when read with a web browser supporting the HTML 2.0 standard and tables, such as Netscape Navigator 2.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0. The amount of graphical elements was kept to a minimum to reduce download times. The major objective is to distribute information and not to design fancy looking web pages.

In future, it is hoped that sites in Europe and North America will mirror the Massey site, to provide close entry points for most users.

We look forward to building worldwide links through EpiVetNet !!!!!

Roger Morris and Dirk Pfeiffer; Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences; Massey University; Palmerston North, New Zealand

Taxonomic Hierarchy Website
From: Mr Ian Stuart <Ian.Stuart@ed.ac.uk>

We at the Dick Vet are assembling a Taxonomic Hierarchy of all organisms (down to family level or beyond). This can be found off our main page: <http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/>

We are interested in anyone who wishes to expand specific family or genus groups (either here or on their own site). Dr. Alastair macdonald is providing information on the family Sus, which will provide an idea of what we'd like to achieve.

Please pass the word around to those people who have pockets of data and would like to link them into a coherent whole.

Ian Stuart (Computing Officer); Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh University.
<http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/> or <http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~kiz/>

AVI-L (VETINFO) WWW Archive Search Page
From: "Ken Boschert, DVM" <KEN@WUDCM.WUSTL.EDU>

Because mailing lists like AVI-L (VETINFO) are a dynamic communications process, people who have just recently joined may not be aware that questions and answers to certain topics have come and gone before....or perhaps you vaguely remember something that was covered in the past, but wanted to review the discussion again....or you've read the instructions for how to search LISTSERV and can't quite make it work right.....well now your problems are solved.

I am happy to announce there is now an easier way to search the AVI-L (VETINFO) message archives. I just put the finishing touches on the first edition of a WWW-based AVI-L (VETINFO) message archive search page. With full boolean logic capabilities, you can retrieve keyword searches of all relevant messages posted on AVI-L (VETINFO) in seconds. In addition, I have similarly made available all the defunct VETHIS-L (Veterinary Hospital Information Systems) mailing list messages. The search form is very easy to use and the search routines are designed to bring the most relevant messages to the top of the list. The functionality is there, but it isn't perfect. The output is somewhat vague in that you'll only see message numbers to click on after the search is complete, but I assure you each message presented will be relevant to whatever keywords you entered.

Enough talk....how do you access it? Use your favorite web browser to go to:

http://netvet.wustl.edu/avisrch.htm

After you check it out, see the revamped AVI pages at:

http://netvet.wustl.edu/avi.htm

Enjoy!

NetVet Links 1.1 - Inaugural Edition
From: "Ken Boschert, DVM" <KEN@WUDCM.WUSTL.EDU>

New veterinary-related World Wide Web sites are popping up almost faster than even I can track. (The inaugural edition of NetVet Links lists) a selection of recently announced webservers which are relevant to those involved or interested in the veterinary medical profession. All of these resources may be quickly located on the WWW Virtual Library of Veterinary Medicine page at the NetVet Veterinary Resources website.

URL: http://netvet.wustl.edu/vetmed.htm

NetVet Links will be a periodic newsletter summary of new veterinary websites and represents an attempt to promote the ever-increasing presence of the veterinary profession on the WWW. For a selection of additional animal-related websites, see the What's New page on NetVet.

URL: http://netvet.wustl.edu/whatsnew.htm

This newsletter will be distributed to the following mailing lists and online services:

VETINFO, VETMED-L, COMPMED, VETWEB, VETLIB-L, PROMED, NOAH, and VIN

Full disclaimer & copyright information located at http://netvet.wustl.edu/copyrite.htm

The compilation of material on NetVet Links may not be reprinted or electronically reproduced unless prior written consent is obtained from the author. As per copyright regulations, "fair use" of selected portions of the material for educational purposes is permitted by individuals and organizations, provided that appropriate attribution of the source accompanies such utilization. Commercial reproduction or distribution by any traditional or electronic based reproduction/publication method is prohibited. Any mention of commercial products or services is simply to be inclusive and does not constitute an endorsement by me or my employer.

(Newsletter Editor's comment: I'm glad to see this newsletter come out as it has become increasingly difficulty to find space to include the latest veterinary Internet sites in the AVI Newsletter.)

NEWS AND COMMENTARY

Smooth Sailing for Telemedicine in the Military
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

Whereas telemedicine has hit several bureaucratic barriers in the civilian world, it's been smooth sailing in the military, where issues such as interstate medical licensing don't matter. The aircraft carrier George Washington, stationed in the Adriatic, is equipped with a radiography unit made by Fuji Medical Systems USA that can transmit X-ray images to Navy hospitals in the U.S. for diagnosis and consultation, and a mobile Army unit in Bosnia is now has the same capability, sending its images to U.S. military hospitals in Europe. (Investor's Business Daily 21 May 96 A8)

When the Clock Strikes 2000
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

The Gartner Group in Stamford, Connecticut, says the federal government will spend about $30 billion to modify a massive number of computer programs in which years were coded simply as two-digit numbers (without identifying the century) and which will have to be fixed so that they can correctly calculate things like benefits payments. It is also estimated that by the time the year 2000 comes around only 70% of government computer programs will have been modified to deal with the problem. (Computerworld 22 Apr 96 p1)

Government May Suffer Most from Year 2000 Problems
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

The Gartner Group says too many corporations still have their heads in the sand over the problems that will arise when the date changes to 2000 and older computer software hasn't been modified to accommodate the new millennium. "People are becoming aware of the problem, and the degree of urgency we're seeing is escalating, but not fast enough to get us out of the woods," says Gartner's research director. "Fixing this is a lot of work. It's expensive, roll-up-your-sleeves work. Some systems won't be ready." He predicts government will have the biggest headaches: "The degree of denial we're seeing in government, plus budget constraints and the relative age of the systems and applications many governments use, add up to big, big trouble." (St. Petersburg Times 8 Apr 96 A1)

Satellite Time is Getting Expensive for Schools
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

Universities that transmit courses and other educational programs via satellite are getting hit with charges of up to $1,000 per hour of live transmission, almost double the cost two years ago, and some are resorting to mailing out videotapes rather than pay for live shows. "Since the mid-'80s, there has been a 1,000% increase in satellite costs," says Oklahoma State University's Marshall Allen. Soaring prices have forced OSU to drop two advanced placement courses it offered to high school students. The problem stems from a shortage in satellites combined with more competition in the spot market, where many educators buy their time. Satellite brokers and consultants predict the shortage will ease over the next few years as users migrate from analog transmission to digital, which can be compressed to one-fourth the transponder space requirement of a full-motion analog signal. Meanwhile educators are looking to videoconferencing over phone lines and eventually the Internet as lower-cost alternatives. (Wall Street Journal 6 Jun 96 B1)

Virtual University Moving Ahead
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

The Western Governors' Association is hammering out details on its proposed "Virtual University," and is expected to endorse the creation of a central governing body and a system of local "franchises" for participating states at its annual meeting this month. The group has hired the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to come up with a viable assessment system, to ensure that students have mastered the subject matter of the courses they take. The Center is also examining licensing and accrediting laws in various states that will participate in the venture, to determine how college credit can be awarded and transferred. In addition, the Western Interstate Cooperative for Education Telecommunication has produced a prototype of a "virtual catalogue," which will interview prospective students on their interests and equipment availability, and then list the courses or products that match their needs. (Chronicle of Higher Education 14 Jun 96 A30)

MEETINGS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

See the informatics section of NetVet for a more complete and current list of informatics-related activities at <http://netvet.wustl.edu/info.htm>

July 15-19, 1996
Short Course - Design of Vaccination Programmes; Great Britain
(See the Mar-Apr, 1996 AVI Newsletter for details)

August, 1996
Risk Analysis and Animal Health; Switzerland
(See the Mar-Apr, 1996 AVI Newsletter for details)

August 7-9, 1996
12th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning; Madison, WI
(See the Jan-Feb, 1996 AVI Newsletter for details)

October 14-17, 1996
European Congress of the Internet in Medicine; Brighton, UK
(See the Jan-Feb, 1996 AVI Newsletter for details)

October 13-16, 1996
Society for Medical Decision Making (SMDM); Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Westin Harbour Castle Hotel; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(See the Mar-Apr, 1996 AVI Newsletter for details)

October 26-30, 1996
AMIA Fall Symposium; Washington, DC
(See the Mar-Apr, 1996 AVI Newsletter for details)

Interactive Multimedia Residency
From: "Donald Adams" <dadams@iastate.edu>

Interactive Multimedia Mini-residency Program: Sponsored by the USDA Higher Education Challenge Grants Program and the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Purpose: The program is intended to bring a different faculty team to Ames each month during the year, for a 3-5 day training/instructional development workshop. Faculty wishing to participate will notify Don Adams of their interest, and will identify three other individuals with whom to co-develop an interactive lesson. Ideally each of the four individuals will represent a different educational institution, with one of the four on the faculty of Iowa State University. The focus of each mini-residency will be tailored to the needs and expertise of the visiting team.

Suggested Areas for Participation: Introductory Authoring with Authorware Professional; advanced authoring with Authorware Professional; animation, warping, and authoring; video/audio capture and authoring; authoring and network distribution.

Cost: Expenses associated with transportation, lodging, and meals are to be paid by participants or their home institutions. There will be no costs associated with the mini-residency training; each participant can expect to receive authoring software, have time away from their telephone and mail, have free use of high-end equipment and software, and an opportunity to become part of an interinstitutional instructional development team in the area of her or his expertise.

Location of Training: The Interactive Multimedia Laboratory (IML), Room 2257, of the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Other information: Teams may consist of either or both Mac and PC users. The visiting team will have considerable flexibility in selecting a specific week for participation. Dependent upon numbers of groups applying, the following criteria may be used to select participating teams: 1) nature of the lesson concept to be developed; 2) need by the team for incorporating images/ animation/video/sound into the lesson; and 3) a description of how interactive programs developed by the"team" will be provided to students.

Contact: Don Adams, e-mail: dadams@iastate.edu; FAX 515-294-3932; telephone 515-294-7710.

Additional information see:

http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/units/iml/homepage.html

CLOSING BITS

Laptops as "The Sole Machine"
From: Edupage Editors <educom@elanor.oit.unc.edu>

With more and more corporations deciding they can't afford two expensive machines per employee -- a laptop and a desktop PC -- companies are replacing obsolete desktops with a laptop that does everything, and the laptop market is thriving. Analysts predict 28% growth in laptop sales this year, twice the growth rate of desktop PCs, and the Giga Information Group estimates laptops will garner a 35% share of all PCs sold by the year 2000. "The notebook used to be a complementary product," says a Texas Instruments VP. "Now, it's the sole machine." (Business Week 17 Jun 96 p134)

Association forVeterinary InformaticsNEWSLETTER