Association for
Veterinary Informatics
NEWSLETTER

November - December, 1997



Charles A. Cohen (Branford, CT) - President; Robin Starr-Chichester (Conifer, CO) - President Elect, James T. Case (UC-Davis) - Secretary Treasurer; Ronald D. Smith (Illinois) - Newsletter Editor


IN THIS ISSUE

 



ASSOCIATION NEWS


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; 1590 Augusta Ct., Dixon, CA 95620
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.

Current and past issues of the AVI Newsletter are also available on the Web at the following URL:

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



CORRESPONDENCE


TALK-ABOUTCATS Mailing List
From: "Albert Buys" <
abuys@jersey.net>

TALK-ABOUTCATS on listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com A Cat Friends Mailing List

The TALK-ABOUTCATS is a cat mailing list for friendly discussions and telling stories about: kittens, indoor cats, house cats, homeless feral cats, cat and dog situations, cat in movies stories, cat and vet stories and cats around the world. Cat rescue and shelters are also welcome to participate and to tell their story. Especially welcome are stories when your cat's life ends and you need a place to share your grief and feelings.

The list is limited to 100 subscribers.

To subscribe, send the following command in the BODY of an e-mail message to

LISTSERV@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
subscribe TALK-ABOUTCATS your name

Owner: Albert Buys <abuys@voicenet.com>



CONSULTANT ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB:

Reducing Information Isolation of Veterinary Practitioners

by

Ann Viera, Veterinary Librarian

Pendergrass Agriculture-Veterinary Medicine Library
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
A-113 VTH Knoxville, TN 37996-4500
annviera@utk.edu
voice: 423/974-9015

 

WHAT CONSULTANT IS AND WHY IT IS USEFUL

CONSULTANT is both a computerized diagnostic support service and a continuously updated veterinary textbook which debuted on the web last winter. Although widely available with free access from now on, supported as a non-profit service of Cornell University, the possibilities and benefits of integrating CONSULTANT into daily veterinary clinical practice are not well understood. CONSULTANT on the web is the first database service to reduce significantly ".... the information isolation...." (1) of veterinary practitioners. Other database services are available*, but for the kinds of searches veterinarians are likely to need in clinical practice, they do not compare favorably in cost, quality, scope, and other features (especially ease of searching) described here. Included are examples that show how CONSULTANT has been used successfully to meet the information needs of students, faculty, and practitioners. The relationship of CONSULTANT to other database services and to veterinary textbooks is described.

CONSULTANT VS OTHER DATABASE SERVICES

Although Davies (2) and others (3) have suggested that health professionals adopt literature searches as useful clinical tools, until CONSULTANT there were and are significant barriers to integrating literature searches into daily veterinary clinical practice.

The barriers to integrating literature searches into practice:

  1. Cost of searching databases and space on the hard drive if the database resides there.

  2. Retrieval software features frustratingly complex to remember and apply correctly when used infrequently or while faced with distractions inherent in practice; keeping up with changes to retrieval software is another problem.

  3. Searcher must filter results for quality and relevance to clinical practice.

  4. No direct link to request photocopies of material not owned by searcher.

  5. Purchase and set-up of modem and telecommunications software (not included as standard equipment on computers until recently).

Little wonder that survey results published in 1991 (4) showed that only 4% of respondents (who were primarily small animal practitioners) used computer-assisted diagnosis. Fewer (3%) searched databases for journal or book information. The modem/telecommunication software barrier listed above shouldn't be underestimated. It was formidable, even for CONSULTANT, which in its pre-web dial-up version (and its current web version) toppled all the other barriers.

CONSULTANT removed the barriers because:

  1. It is relatively inexpensive to search -- now free on the web, as a dial-up system the $75 for a password/ manual plus $12/connect hour was cheaper than the average price of one veterinary text.

  2. It is very simple to search -- it was created by a practitioner for practitioners.

  3. It has cited references that are filtered for quality and relevance to clinical practice.

  4. Requests for photocopies may be made directly while using CONSULTANT (see first help screen).

Even with all the barriers except one removed, CONSULTANT only had 500 subscribers when it was a dial-up database, probably due to the time and money disincentives involved with installing a modem and using telecommunications software. Another reason might have to do with CONSULTANT itself. This suprisingly simple and elegant database is difficult to understand fully without examples and background information. It also takes some medical knowledge and common sense in order to retrieve the correct results, especially when searching by sign (just like any other diagnostic tool) and some willingness to experiment. With the advent of the worldwide web, and the inclusion of modems as standard equipment on computers, the barriers to integrating literature searches into veterinary clinical practice are fewer. Now for only the cost of connecting to the web, which a good many veterinarians are likely to have currently on a home computer, CONSULTANT is available for review at http://www.vet.cornell.edu

ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS

CONSULTANT is not the answer each time a veterinary practitioner needs access to the literature. Searches of CAB ABSTRACTS (CAB is the comprehensive index to the veterinary literature, 1972-present, ) and other databases will still be needed for diseases or species not covered by CONSULTANT, or when the search requires that everything on a topic be retrieved. [Note: practitioners should contact a veterinary librarian for help with comprehensive searches. Another relatively new option to try before a veterinary librarian, if you're on the web anyway and want to do your own searching, is to try searching MEDLINE. MEDLINE is the National Library of Medicine's database providing access to articles in 4,000 biomedical journals. Of these, about 60 are veterinary journals. MEDLINE covers the biomedical literature from 1966-present. It was made available free on the world wide web in June of 1997. The service is called PubMed.

However, for diseases covered by both databases, I have found many instances where a search of CONSULTANT was superior to a search of CAB, because CONSULTANT is updated faster, quality filtered by a practicing veterinarian, and because it is built to be searched by veterinarians. This last point is crucial. Furthermore, CONSULTANT, web version, contains links to relevant web sites (including links to articles in the MEDLINE database mentioned above--try a search by diagnosis in CONSULTANT for morbillivirus, for example, and click on the first web reference), filtered for quality and checked regularly to see that they are working, unavailable in CAB. CONSULTANT is the source I now consider first, for any disease-related question for the eight species covered (See Table 1), even in the information-rich environment in which I work.

SEARCH EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1: SEARCHING FOR TREATMENT

I demonstrated CONSULTANT last Spring to one of the most frequent CAB searchers on the faculty. He had a case of goats with abscesses, and was in the library to do a CAB search for information on treatment. We used CONSULTANT as an online textbook: searched by diagnosis, then selected caprine from the species list. He told me to type in caseous lymphadenitis for the diagnosis keyword. CONSULTANT returned two possible diagnoses. We selected "Caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats" by clicking the hyperlink to it, which is in red on our machines. At the end of the list of references was an article which he had in his personal collection. As the veterinarian sprinted to his office to get the article, he said he would definitely use CONSULTANT again, as it would be much easier than CAB for this kind of search. Since we ran the search a link has been added to a web site at Massey University in New Zealand.

EXAMPLE 2:LITERATURE REVIEW FOR A MANUSCRIPT

A couple of years ago, our avian specialist was preparing to write an article on neurological diseases. We searched 87-95 CAB. The search required 6 steps, two logical connectors (and, or), plus truncation. Many of the 140 retrieved were not relevant but could not be eliminated due to the scope of the project and the terminology problems we encountered. We tried CONSULTANT (dial-up version) searched by sign and limited the species to AVIAN. We tried a few words. When we typed in ataxia, it yielded 48 possible diagnoses in a few seconds. The disease summary and the cited references were just what was wanted, and they were very current too. It took a long time to print out the 48 disease summaries and cited references, but little brain power. The CAB search took nearly an hour, was comparatively taxing, and produced less satisfactory results.

EXAMPLE 3: LITERATURE REVIEW FOR A PRESENTATION

In mid-May 1997, while browsing in the current periodicals section, I serendipitously found an article on prozac in dogs in the April 1997 issue of Veterinary Medicine. When I forwarded it to a clinician, I found out that she was soon to speak on psychotropic drugs. I did a literature search for her in preparation for the talk, but did not find the article in Veterinary Medicine in any of the four other databases searched (MEDLINE, PSYCHLIT, CURRENT CONTENTS, CAB). It was in CONSULTANT! I found it by searching by diagnosis, limiting to canine, and typing in aggression. The article did appear about two weeks later in a weekly update to our library's version of Current Contents (two subsets of this database are being marketed to veterinarians-- ISI/NOAH World Veterinary Index and Focus On: Veterinary Science & Medicine*).

EXAMPLE 4: SEARCHING FOR CURRENT INFORMATION ON A DISEASE

1) a couple of years ago I got a call from a veterinarian in an adjacent state needing current information about spiking mortality disease in poultry. Very recent articles from Avian Disease were not in CAB yet, but because of CONSULTANT (searched by diagnosis, limited to AVIAN, typing in spiking mortality in the diagnosis keyword box) I was able to find and send them.

2) An intern needed current information on BVD (bovine virus diarrhea). We searched by diagnosis, limited to BOVINE and typed in BVD. He selected the diagnosis (acute) from the list of possibilities and reviewed the list of cited references. It included a link to a web site at Ohio State, some of which he printed.

CONSULTANT AND VETERINARY TEXTBOOKS

CONSULTANT is both a diagnostic tool (when searched by sign) and a continuously updated veterinary text (when searched by diagnosis). That CONSULTANT functions as a continuously updated on-line veterinary text needs to be emphasized, based on findings by Bawden and Vallely (5) and others (6) that veterinarians regard books as a key resource. Textbooks provide economical storage of expert knowledge but are out of date upon publication. Another relevant finding is that physicians (M.D.s) tend not to purchase new editions of texts outside their areas of specialization (7). This is probably true also for D.V.M.s, since most need to keep up with several species, instead of or in addition to a specialization. Since CONSULTANT covers about 70 journals (8,9) and an estimated 6,700 diseases of eight species, it offers relatively broad access to current information, supplementing books veterinarians are most likely to own, on species veterinarians are most likely to see in practice.

CONSULTANT does have a direct relationship to one text: Large Animal Internal Medicine (Mosby, 1996 & 1990) edited by Bradford P. Smith. Dr. Maurice White, the creator of CONSULTANT, describes the relationship as symbiotic. He states (on page xvii of both editions) "...The database can be thought of as a consultant generalist that 'knows' a little about almost every disease in veterinary medicine and is very up-to-date. Despite that, it remains merely a tool for the clinician who uses it." Dr. White next discusses the expert knowledge found in the book and its use in clinical decision-making. He concludes "...The printed word remains an efficient way to capture such knowledge. Cooperation such as that between CONSULTANT and Large Animal Internal Medicine allows the practitioner and the student to benefit from the linkage between the tireless memory and ease of retrieval of the computer and the convenience and low cost of expert knowledge in book form."

SUMMARY

CONSULTANT meets the requirements of many veterinary practitioners for quality, update frequency, journal coverage, species coverage, and cost. It is very easy to search. It has links to relevant web sites and to veterinary libraries for photocopies. Furthermore, CONSULTANT has the support of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. CONSULTANT makes the decision to get connected to the worldwide web from a practice computer (not that common in the area which my library serves) an easy one. Finally, a digital source with features that will make an "....impact on the work of the veterinary practitioner..." (10) anticipated by librarians and veterinarians (11) for such a long time.

Table 1. diseases by species covered by CONSULTANT (12)

    AVIAN

278

    BOVINE

1141

    CANINE

1353

    EQUINE

1103

    FELINE

924

    CAPRINE

611

    OVINE

750

    PORCINE

599

------

    Total

6759

References

1. Peltzer, N.L.; Leysen, J.M.: Use of information resources by veterinary practitioners. Bull Med Lib Assoc. 79(1):10-16; 1991.

2. Davies, N.E.; DeVierno, A.A.: Reimbursement for computer-assisted literature searches for patient care (letter). NEJ Med. 319(15): 1021; 1988.

3.Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group;Evidence-based medicine: a new approach to teaching the practice of medicine. JAMA. 268(17) : 2420-2425; Nov. 4, 1992.

4. Peltzer, N.L. op. cit., 14.

5.Bawden D.; Valleley, C.:Veterinary information: sources and use. Aslib Proceedings. vol.48, no. 11/12: 266-270; November/December 1996.

6.Peltzer, N.L. op.cit., 15.

7.Wyatt, J.: Information for clinicians: use and sources of medical knowledge. Lancet. 338: 1368-1373; Nov. 30, 1991.

8. White, M.E.: What Information Explosion. Can Vet J. vol.30: 626-628; August 1989.

9. White, M.E. Personal communication: July 1997.

10.Bawden, D.; op. cit., 269.

11. Peltzer, N.L.; op.cit., 14, 15.

12.White, M.E. Personal communication: June 1997.

*Note on other database services available: ISI/NOAH World Veterinary Index provides access to 85 veterinary journals, covering the past 5 years. Articles have abstracts, and can be ordered while online. It is supported in part by Mallinckrodt Veterinary, Inc. The price is $150/year. For more information, call the AVMA at 800-248-2862, ext. 297; or see the AVMA web site. Another current awareness product derived from the same database company (ISI) is called Focus On: Veterinary Science & Medicine, which covers 162 journals. For more information contact ISI at 800-336-4474 ext. 1483; or see the ISI web site. The price is $260/year. For a complete list of database services for practitioners, see the UC Davis Carlson Health Sciences Library list.



PRODUCT AVAILABILITY/REVIEWS/COMPARISONS


MedPRO: Bibliography Software for Medical Literature
From: : "Ken Boschert, DVM" <
KEN@WUVMD.WUSTL.EDU>

http://www.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win95/info/medpro10.zip
ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win95/info/medpro10.zip

MedPRO is a program designed for anyone who wishes to make sense of the growing body of medical literature. As a medical reference organizer, MedPRO will import Medline, MEDLARS, and Physicians' Online searches from email and the Internet into an easy to use format. MedPRO will then organize, annotate, and create bibliographies in numerous styles from the collected literature. MedPRO is similar to other reference programs (EndNote, Reference Manager, and ProCite), however it costs much less and is supported by a friendly staff.

Special requirements: None.
Shareware. Uploaded by the author.

Medical Microbiology and Immunology
From:
jrenfro@seas.upenn.edu

http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00430/index.htm

This electronic version of the print journal of the same name is published on the web by Springer-Verlag New York, Inc. It publishes articles on all aspects of the interrelationship between infectious agents and their hosts. Major topics covered by the journal are aspects of microbial and viral pathogenesis and the immunological host response to infections; contributions from other fields of microbiology, including mycology and parasitology, will also be considered. The journal guarantees a rapid reviewing process, so that high-quality papers can be published quickly.

Articles are published in Adobe Acrobat portable document format and are available to subscribers using a password provided by the publisher. No password is required to view the article abstracts, which are published in html format.

Subscription Information

-North America: Recommended annual subscription rate: Approx. US $ 670.00
(single issue price: approx. US $ 198.00) including carriage charges. Subscriptions are entered with prepayment only. -All other countries: Recommended annual subscription rate: DM 925.00 plus carriage charges (Germany: DM 11.20 incl. VAT; other countries: DM 17.40). SAL or airmail charges are available upon request.

ISSN 1432-1831 (electronic version)

Editors-in-Chief: S. Bhakdi, B. Fleischer, R. Rott Email:
helpdesk@link.springer.de



INTERNET RESOURCES


October 27th Update of the DVM Newsmagazine Web Site is Now Available
From: "Lynne Brakeman" <
lbrakeman@advanstar.com>

Visit our breaking news section at:

http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/1027news.html

Our new products page and meetings calendar have also been updated. Please stop by and let us know what you think of our site.

Sincerely,
Lynne Brakeman
Web Editor
DVM Newsmagazine
E-mail: lbrakeman@advanstar.com

Hog Outlook
From:
newjour@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

http://www.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/erssor/livestock/ldp-hbb/

HOG OUTLOOK, a supplement to the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Monthly report, is published five times a year by the Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Hog Outlook includes Detailed analysis and data on the hog sector, focusing on current production, slaughter, price, and trade statistics.

In 1997, ERS is expanding its publication LIVESTOCK, DAIRY, AND POULTRY MONTHLY to include the information formerly contained in Hog Outlook. Hog Outlook report will be discontinued in 1997. The final Hog Outlook issue was published October 15, 1996.

Sample Contents:

* Pork Supplies To Be Lower
* Projected Prices Higher
* ERS Budgets Reflect High Feed Prices
* Japan Imposes Safeguard Mechanism
* Some April Surprises
* Live Imports from Canada Boom

For email subscription see information at:

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/REPORTS_EMAIL_DISTRIBUTION

Poultry Outlook
From:
newjour@ccat.sas.upenn.edu

http://www.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/erssor/livestock/ldp-pbb/

POULTRY OUTLOOK, a supplement to the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Monthly report, is published five times a year by the Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. Poultry Outlook provides detailed analysis and data covering the poultry sector, focusing on current production, price, and trade statistics.

In 1997, ERS is expanding its publication LIVESTOCK, DAIRY, AND POULTRY MONTHLY to include the information formerly contained in Cattle and Sheep Outlook. Poultry Outlook report will be discontinued in 1997.

The final Poultry Outlook issue was published November 18, 1996.

Sample Contents:

* Growth in Poultry Sector Expected
* Broiler Price Pattern Changing
* State Production Growth Varies Widely * Broiler Exports Continue Strong
* Other Chicken Shipments Climb
* Turkey Prices To Increase Slowly

For email subscription information see:

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/REPORTS_EMAIL_DISTRIBUTION

WELLPET Server Changed
From: "Katrina Ritchie" <
katr@earthlink.net>

WELLPET on MAJORDOMO@LISTSERVICE.NET - Holistic/Natural Pet Care Discussion

WELLPET is an unmoderated list, specifically for the discussion of Holistic or Natural Pet care and is open to all those with a sincere interest in alternative methods of animal care. Topics could include the use and application natural diets and nutrition, homeopathic remedies, the use of vitamin and food supplements, herbal medicine, flower remedies, massage therapies and accupuncture. Anti Holistic posts are not welcome

To subscribe to WELLPET, send the following command to
majordomo@Listservice.net in the BODY of e-mail (LEAVE THE SUBJECT LINE BLANK):

subscribe wellpet, (or to receive the digest version) subscribe wellpet-digest

TO RECEIVE FURTHER INFORMATION: The latest version of the info file for WELLPET, can be obtained by sending the follwing command in the body of a message to majordomo@ListService.netinfo wellpet

OWNER: Katrina Ritchie katr@earthlink.net/ katrina@cia.com.au or owner-wellpet@ListService.net

Visit the Marketing Communications Resource Library
From: Bill McCue <
bmccue@vt.edu>

On August 1, 1997, The Veterinary Communications Cooperative was awarded a development grant from Nutramax Laboratories to design and begin construction of an innovative web site: a veterinarians-only marketing communications resource library. We're pleased now to share the recently completed Phase One as well as ongoing/future plans.

YOU'RE INVITED

The Marketing Communications Resource Library is located on the Internet at
http://www.VetComm.com. When you first arrive at our web site, you'll be able to take a brief "introductory tour" (INTRO plus six screens) and we'll explain the purpose of the site and the Veterinary Communications Cooperative (VetComm). Then you'll have the opportunity to visit the "members only" Construction Zone. A password-protected "firewall " has been activated. Please use the temporary "sneak peek" password: VCC1024.

Here's some of what you'll find:

1. The latest findings of the AAVMC-approved Practice Management Curriculum Survey of veterinary colleges/schools. Specifically: How many total classroom hours of practice management are offered? How many of those classroom hours are DEVOTED to marketing?

2. A comprehensive overview (draft) of vet-to-client newsletters as a tool to inform, motivate and educate pet owners. This is just a starting point.

3. Introduction to Marketing Veterinary Services in the New Millennium, a preliminary, yet comprehensive, draft of the first of 16 modules to be included on a CD-ROM course which will be made available at no charge to students of veterinary medicine and faculty teaching marketing-related curriculum.

A task force representing all segments of the veterinary profession is being established to review the form and content of the library over the course of the next TWO years. There are several manufacturers who are anxious to support development of this online library by sponsoring your participation. Nutramax, for example, is sponsoring a faculty representative from each of the 27 colleges/schools of veterinary medicine to ensure that the library meets the needs of each institution.

If, after you take the tour (VetComm.com), your organization would like to have representation on the Resource Library Task Force, please let me know by submitting your online registration and selecting the "Fellowship" option. I'll make the necessary arrangements with a sponsoring vendor.

One last request: please pass the word. And feel free to share the temporary "sneak peek" password (VCC1024) with any veterinarian interested in promoting informatics, distance learning and/or better communication between veterinarians and pet owners.

Veterinary Communications Cooperative
Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center
2000 Kraft Drive, Suite 1010
Blacksburg, VA 24060
E-mail: bmccue@vt.edu
Phone: 540-231-2234
Fax: 540-231-2235



NEWS AND COMMENTARY


Leading the Pack
From: Edupage <
educom@educom.unc.edu>, 4 September 1997

BRITAIN LEADS THE PACK IN COMPUTER LITERACY According to the 1997 European Computer Literacy Report, Great Britain has the highest computer-to-student ratio in the world, and fully a third of British households now contain a computer, higher even than their estimation of 28% of U.S. PC households. Home usage in the U.K. is soaring, up 45% in less than two years, and every primary school in the country has at least one computer. About 20% of British households have Internet access and the same proportion owns two computers. "For the second year running, Britain is ahead of the world in terms of computer use which means an increasingly computer literate population," says one of the report's researchers. "Britain's primary and secondary school pupils have greater access to IT than those in other European countries, the U.S., Canada and Japan." Britain has spent more than a billion pounds on information technology in schools since 1979. (ZD-Net 3 Sep 97)

America Online to Operate CompuServe
From: Edupage <
educom@educom.unc.edu>, 9 September 1997

America Online has negotiated a complex deal with WorldCom that will result in AOL acquiring and operating CompuServe. AOL intends to keep CompuServe's content focused on business and technology issues: "AOL is going to use its scale and its resources to make it more focused and efficient in servicing the business and professional market," says a source close to the negotiation. The arrangement calls for WorldCom to purchase CompuServe as part of a $1.2 billion stock swap, then to turn it over to America Online, along with $175 million in cash, in exchange for AOL's ANS network service. The deal will give AOL some much needed cash, and a boost of about 30% in subscribership. WorldCom will get to keep CompuServe's global data network, which, in combination with the ANS network, will beef up WorldCom's data networking capabilities. (Miami Herald 8 Sep 97)

Information Technology is Nation's Largest Industry
From: Edupage <
educom@educom.unc.edu>, 18 November 1997

A study based on Commerce Department data and sponsored by the American Electronics Association (AEA) and the Nasdaq stock market says that the field of information technology (including both computing and telecommunications) is now the nation's largest industry, ahead of construction, food products, and automobile manufacturing. And the AEA's president took the occasion of the study's release to urge lawmakers to learn more about technology: "Whether we like it or not, high-technology issues are going to be front and center in Washington and in state capitals during the next few years. At the state and national level, policy makers have a lot of positive impressions about the high-technology industry, but often very little knowledge of it. The biggest public policy threat to the high-technology field is the ignorance of technology and of how these industries work." (New York Times 18 Nov 97)

Amusing Internet Statistics
From: Edupage <
educom@educom.unc.edu>, 14 September 1997

THE PROLIFERATION OF ISPs AND OTHER AMUSING STATISTICS According to Boardwatch magazine, the number of Internet service providers in the U.S. and Canada has mushroomed from 1,447 in February 1996 to 4,133 in August 1997. Presumably, all those ISPs are staying busy handling the 2.7 trillion e-mail messages that will be sent this year, with e-mail numbers projected to rise to 6.9 trillion in 2000. None of this connectivity comes cheap: end users spent $19 billion on Internet and intranet products last year, roughly $1,000 for each of the 20 million individuals who consider the Internet "indispensible." (Internet Index #19, 10 Sep 97)

Virtual Hospital
From: Edupage <
educom@educom.unc.edu>, 21 August 1997

Sabratek Corp. has developed a MediVIEW system that can monitor patients and adjust dosages in medication drip devices, all from a remote location. "I will give you a scenario," says Sabratek's president. "At two in the morning, a patient on a pain-management drug makes a call, tells a nurse that he's feeling pain and says the medicine doesn't seem to be working. The nurse calls the doctor, who increases the dosage. In the old system, the nurse would need to get up at 2 a.m. and drive to the patient's home to reset the device. This may cost $75 to $100 per trip. Using MediVIEW, you can connect that device to a computer through a regular phone line and change the dosage from your own bedside. And a doctor can download data to see what's going on with the patient." To enhance its capabilities, Sabratek recently invested in a computer system called Medically Oriented Operating Network (MOON) that enables continuous online, real-time monitoring, charting, recording and reporting of clinical patient information from any location. "Combining smart monitoring and infusion devices with the MOON system, we can create a virtual hospital at someone's home." (Investor's Business Daily 21 Aug 97)

VETINFO Mailing List to be Moderated
From: "Ken Boschert, DVM" <
KEN@WUDCM.WUSTL.EDU>

Forthwith, the VETINFO (aka AVI-L) mailing list will be moderated. In other words, I will personally approve all messages prior to their being sent to the list for general distribution. I do this because it is a small list, but big enough for people who don't understand the reason for its existence to keep going off-topic, sending replies back to the mailing list, etc.

I value all of your time & I'm sure that you can appreciate I value my own as well. I don't like nor intend to censor anyone, but I will definitely deflect any message that has no good reason for being distributed. What that does mean is that your messages will not be immediately distributed; rather they will have to wait until I get around to approving them. That should not be a problem since the message volume has traditionally been low and the topics are not critically time-sensitive.

If this policy change offends anyone, you are welcome to leave the list. Again, I won't be censoring anyone's words, only determining whether the message is suitable for distribution to the group. I do this reluctantly, but feel it is the only way to maintain any semblance of quality control and do not wish others to leave the list because of the relative minority of those who do not or cannot figure it out.

Ken Boschert, DVM EMail: ken@wudcm.wustl.edu
Washington University NOAH:
netvet@compuserve.com
Div. of Comparative Medicine URL:
http://netvet.wustl.edu/
Box 8061, 660 S. Euclid Ave. Phone: 314-362-3700 =\/= St. Louis, MO 63110
Fax: 314-362-6480



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>


Posters for 1998 Richard Talbot Veterinary Informatics Symposium
From: ":Duane Steward, DVM, MSIE" <
duane@mit.edu>

1998 AVI, AVMA Convention Richard Talbot Veterinary Informatics Symposium
"Improving Patient Care with Informatics"

***** Call for Posters Extended *****

The program of speakers for the 1998 Talbot Symposium, to be held July 25-27th in Baltimore, Md at the AVMA Annual Convention, is complete. You can view the scheduled program now at http://hahn.lcs.mit.edu/98talbot/schedule.htm. The AVI Education Committee thinks both practicing and academic veterinarians will find the speakers of interest for improving veterinary care in theory and in practice. In an effort to include late developments in the rapidly evolving technologies of informatics, we have extended the Call for Posters.

Poster abstracts for the '98 Talbot Symposium can be submitted at:

http://hahn.lcs.mit.edu/98talbot/callfp.htm

Posters will be displayed throughout the symposium with designated breaks for authors to be present for questions. Accepted Poster Presenters will receive complimentary AVMA convention registration and will not be subject to any badge fee.

Submissions are invited from both inside and outside the veterinary profession where information technologies have been shown effective in solving real problems for veterinary practitioners or bringing clarity to veterinary decision making regarding their patients as a result of systematic approach. Presentations will be chosen competitively with preferences to those aligned with the symposium's theme and with information the practitioner can take back immediately to practice.

Submission Details

All posters will be selected by a critical review. All submissions to the Call for Posters will be reviewed by the Association for Veterinary Informatics Education Committee and appointees of the Committee Chair. The committee is interested in submission of abstracts for posters which demonstrate the role and principles of disciplined information processing technologies in veterinary medicine. The committee is particularly interested in technologies which solve defined problems or indicate the optimal decision in an otherwise equivocal clinical context. The abstract should clearly define the problem to be solved or the options and considerations in the decision faced. The systematic approach to the solution or decision recommendation should be also be clearly described for the intended veterinary practitioner audience. The poster presentation should fulfill the ambition of the educational committee as stated above.

Abstracts (200 word limit) may be submitted electronically (preferred) or in writing. The deadline for submission of poster abstracts is currently February 1998, specific date yet to be determined. Send submissions or questions for the program committee to
duane@mit.edu or to NE43-415, Technology Square, Cambridge, Mass, 02174. Submissions can be made online at the following URL: http://hahn.lcs.mit.edu/98talbot/callfp.htm

Committee Members: Lindsey Puryear, Robin M. Starr, Craig Carter, Chuck Cohen,
Cheryl Dhein, Allen W. Hahn, Harmon Rogers, Ronald D. Smith, Duane Steward (Chair)

The Journal of Medical Education Technologies- Call for Papers
From: "Lawrence Sherman" <
ls@cogentlink.com>

I have a request that I hope some of you can help me with. I am the Editor of The Journal of Medical Education Technologies and thought that this group may contain potential authors, or know of colleagues that might be able to submit articles for the Journal.

Now that I have just put my first issue to bed (it will be out within the next few weeks), I am looking for more quality papers for upcoming issues. What we are looking for are articles that discuss the use of computer-based learning and other new technologies (i.e., CD-ROM and the Internet) in all aspects of health care education. These can be original studies or papers that describe a singe program or activity. Furthermore, we would like to see papers that come from a variety of sources, from academia, industry, and commercial companies.

There may also be opportunities to present the information discussed in articles at one of several meeting held throughout the year by the Society for Applied Learning Technologies, the publisher of the Journal.

Please feel free to respond to me via email or telephone at 516-843-9070 should you have any specific questions.

Lawrence Sherman
Vice President, New Business Development Strategic Implications International
Editor, Journal of Medical Education Technologies

Distance Learning in Public Health
From: "Susan Foster" <
susan.foster@lshtm.ac.uk>

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, through the External Programme of the University of London, will offer two new distance-based MSc courses and Postgraduate Diplomas in Health Systems Management and Infectious Diseases, from September 1998.

All course materials and books will be provided to students around the world, and residency in London will not be required. For further information and an application form, please write to:

First Enquiries,
University of London,
Senate House, London WC1E 7HU
Tel: +44-171-636-8000 Ext. 3150, or visit the website at:
http://www.lon.ac.uk/external

Susan Foster
London School of Hygiene & T. M.

Pittsburgh Medical Informatics Training Program
From: "Joseph Cummings" <
jcumm@cbmi.upmc.edu>

The Center for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh expects to have openings for funded predoctoral and postdoctoral informatics traineeships beginning in the summer of 1998. The Pittsburgh Training Program has a core and affiliated faculty numbering over 60, with expertise in:

*Decision support and medical artificial intelligence
*Computer-based medical records
*Computational biology
*Clinical multimedia, telemedicine, and medical applications of the Internet
*Education, information, and cognition
*Health services research and information system evaluation
*Data mining and knowledge discovery
*Medical imaging
*Dental informatics (in collaboration with Temple University)

Trainees may enroll for masters or doctoral degrees in the Intelligent Systems Program, the School of Information Sciences, the School of Public Health, or other degree-granting programs as directed by their individual interests. Research fellowship training experiences that do not lead to academic degrees may also be arranged. Applications are welcome from both health professionals who seek to further their knowledge of information technology, and non-health professionals with backgrounds in technical fields who wish to further develop these skills and apply them to problems in health care.

The training program is part of the Center for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh and the UPMC Health System. The program's office space is located in the new Forbes Tower building adjacent to the central hospital complex of the UPMC Health System and the complete academic resources of the University's campus.

The target date for receiving applications is February 1, 1998. Interested individuals are invited to visit the program's web site at
http://www.cbmi.upmc.edu, send e-mail to training@cbmi.upmc.edu, or call (412) 647-7113 for further information.

The program Director, Charles Friedman, and Co-directors, Gregory Cooper and Titus Schleyer -- as well as many faculty members and current trainees -- will be attending the AMIA Fall Symposium (Nashville, TN, October 25-29) and would be interested in meeting with prospective applicants at the Career Expo '97 (Booth Number 1110).

Winter Web Workshops Now Open
From: "Thomas P. Copley" <
tcopley@GIGANTOR.ARLINGTON.COM>

Workshops on the World Wide Web (WWW) for the beginner and slightly more advanced user will be conducted monthly this winter by Arlington Courseware. Several sessions of each workshop are now open. Both are eight week distance-learning workshops conducted entirely by HTML mail.*

MAKE THE LINK WORKSHOP: WORLD WIDE WEB FOR EVERYONE

This workshop focuses on how to gain maximum advantage from the Web. It covers how to gain access to the WWW, linking to and interpreting URLs, distinguishing between different browsers, navigating and searching, organizing your bookmarks, designing your own home page with HTML and installing it on a server, utilizing principles of good Web design, and choosing between and using HTML editors.

The cost is $20. For further information, see the Make the Link Workshop home page:

http://www.bearfountain.com/arlington/links.html

TUNE IN THE NET: GLOBAL REACH FOR THE 21st CENTURY

This is the sequel to Make the Link, but may be taken independently by the more experienced beginner or intermediate user. It concentrates on Internet interactivity and assisting the more experienced user in making his or her Web pages into a standout interactive site. It covers prototyping Web pages with page generators and site builders, making HTML forms, using client-side image maps, customizing pages with frames and HTML 3.2, making content interactive with layers, dynamic HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), scripting with JavaScript, and utilizing push media, such as Netscape Netcaster and Microsoft Active Channels.

The cost is $40. For additional information, see the Tune In the Net Workshop home page:

http://www.bearfountain.com/arlington/tune.html

The cost of both workshops taken together is $55.

HOW TO SIGN UP

Three Make the Link Workshops are scheduled for this winter:

December Session December 1 - January 23
(Open enrollment period until 12/12)
January Session January 5 - February 27
February Session February 2 - March 27

Three Tune In the Net Workshops are also scheduled:

Session VII (December) December 1 - January 23
(Open enrollment period until 12/12)
January Session January 5 - February 27
February Session February 2 - March 27

Sign up for ONE session of each workshop only unless you plan to take it more than once. To sign up, please send an e-mail message to the address:

majordomo@arlington.com

and in the body of the message, include the words: to subscribe to:
------------------ ----------------

subscribe links-dec December session of Make the Link
subscribe links-jan January session of Make the Link
subscribe links-feb February session of Make the Link

subscribe tune7 Session VII (Dec.) of Tune In the Net
subscribe tune-jan the January session of Tune In the Net
subscribe tune-feb the February session of Tune In the Net

This will automatically put you on the mailing list for more information about each workshop, and you will receive an acknowledgment with the particulars about signing up, and unsubscribing, should you decide not to participate.

If you have any difficulty with this procedure or fail to receive a response, please send e-mail to the address in the signature line.

* A plain ASCII text version is also available.

THOMAS P. COPLEY tcopley@arlington.com
Tune In the Net Workshop
www.bearfountain.com/arlington/



SUGGESTED READING


Two New Books on Medical Informatics from AMIA

Two new books on Medical Informatics have just been published this Fall. AMIA members Mark Musen and Jan van Bemmel have edited "Handbook Medical Informatics," published by Springer-Verlag. AMIA member Enrico Coiera has authored "Guide to Medical Informatics, The Internet, and Telemedicine," just published by Chapman & Hall. Both books have associated Web sites: for the Musen & van Bemmel book, see www.mihandbook.stanford.edu or http://www.mieur.nl/mihandbook; for the Coiera book, see http://www.coiera.com

Review of Practice Management Software by AAHA

The American Animal Hospital Association just published a review of practice management software in July of this year. The publication is available from AAHA for $10. You can contact AAHA on the web or by email at:
AAHAPR@aol.com

The Internet Workbook for Health Professionals. Hutchinson / New Wind Publishing, 1997, $19.95.


CLOSING BITS


The "Good 'Ol Days

In my day, we didn't have no rocks. We had to go down to the creek and wash our clothes by beating them with our heads.
(Barry Blyveis, Columbia)

In my day, we didn't have dogs or cats. All I had was Silver Beauty, my beloved paper clip.
(Jennifer Hart, Arlington)

When I was your age, we didn't have fake doggie-do. We only had real doggie-do, and no one thought it was a #*&% bit funny.
(Brendan Bassett, Columbia)

In my day, we didn't have fancy health-food restaurants. Every day we ate lots of easily recognizable animal parts, along with potatoes drenched in melted fat from those animals. And we're all as strong as AAGGKK-GAAK Urrgh. Thud.
(Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)

In my day, we didn't have hand-held calculators. We had to do addition on our fingers. To subtract, we had to have some fingers amputated.
(Jon Patrick Smith, Washington)

In my day, we didn't have water. We had to smash together our own hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
(Diana Hugue, Bowie)


November-December 1997 AVI Newsletter <http://netvet.wustl.edu/avi.htm>

Association for Veterinary Informatics - 2005 - All Rights Reserved