Related Experiment Videos
Pediatric surgeons on the Internet: a multi-institutional experience
M L Wulkan1, S D Smith, T V Whalen
1University of Alabama at Birmingham, The Children's Hospital of Alabama, 35233, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|April 1, 1997
Summary
Pediatric surgeons are increasingly using the Internet for professional development. Online resources like the Pediatric Surgery Bulletin Board System (BBS) and website show growing traffic, primarily for clinical case discussions and information exchange.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Digital Health Communication
- Surgical Education Technology
Background:
- Growing internet adoption among the general population (11% in North America).
- Increasing computer ownership in households (40%).
- Emerging use of the internet by medical professionals for practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate current practices and future potential of internet utilization by pediatric surgeons.
- To assess the usage statistics and content of key pediatric surgery online platforms.
Main Methods:
- Review of three distinct pediatric surgery internet sites: Pediatric Surgery Bulletin Board System (BBS), Pediatric Surgery List Server, and Pediatric Surgery Website.
- Collection and analysis of site-specific statistics including user numbers, traffic load, topics of interest, and peak usage times.
- Analysis of electronic mail messages and website hits.
Main Results:
- Pediatric Surgery BBS has 79 subscribers with increasing traffic, 25% related to clinical problems.
- Pediatric Surgery List Server has 100 subscribers.
- Pediatric Surgery Website received 16,270 hits in 3 months, with popular sections including an email directory, case studies, and job board.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric surgeons are actively exploring and utilizing internet resources for professional needs.
- The scope of professional information available online for pediatric surgeons is currently limited but expanding rapidly.
- The internet is poised to significantly impact medical practice through enhanced education and communication channels.