HTML and Web Site Design for the Radiologist: A Primer

E-Medical Education

The World Wide Web has made available a large variety of medical information and education resources only dreamed of two decades ago. This review discusses a number of Web-based e-Medical education concepts and resources likely to be of interest to the medical education community as well as a number of other groups. The resources described focus especially on those that are free and those that have an interactive component. The importance of interactivity and its role in the “constructivist” approach to education is emphasized. Problem-based learning in medical education is also discussed. In addition, the importance of “Web 2.0” and related developments is discussed, along with an overview of Web-based medical simulation software that can complement medical education programs. The importance of podcasts and videocasts as an educational resource are also emphasized. Other concepts such as mashups and the semantic Web are briefly described. Intellectual property issues are also discussed, such as Creative Commons license arrangements, as well as the concept of “information philanthropy”. Finally, the importance of peer-review and technology evaluation for online educational materials is discussed.

Blog/Web Log—A New Easy and Interactive Website Building Tool for a Non-net Savvy Radiologist

Recently, there has been no escaping the mention of blogs in the media. Blogging has emerged as a social phenomenon, which has impacted politics, business, and communication. Blogging software has enabled people with limited knowledge of the Internet to publish their thoughts online and participate in a global conversation; whereas the Blogosphere has hyperaccelerated the spread of information. Technorati, a blog search engine is now tracking over 7.8 million Weblogs, and 937 million links, and reports that there are about 30,000 to 40,000 new blogs created a day. The majority of people who blog do so as a hobby, using blogs to publish their thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints on whatever topics interest them. Blogging software also enables people to post pictures, music, and more recently videos. For many people blogs are used as online journals or diaries; other people use blogs to communicate with their family and friends. Whether people generate revenue with their blogs or use them as a hobby the one thing they all have in common is that they are part of the Blogosphere, or network of blogs that gives people a voice and allows them to spread information at an unprecedented rate. Although searching PubMed produces few results for "blog" (6 relevant articles of 24), "weblog" (1 article), web log (8 entries of varying relevance), and "blogging" (4 articles) (none of which were in Radiology, RadioGraphics, AJR, or JVIR), blogging might well become an important means of information transfer in Radiology also. As radiology is an image-based science, a blog is a satisfying endeavor in that you can share your experiences with others instantaneously In this context, I would like to submit my experience with easy method for building a Web site known as blogging (maintaining a Web log). As a radiologist, I use my blog (http://www.sumerdoc.blogspot.com/; or http://www.indianradiology.com/) to post interesting cases from my routine practice along with any interesting abstracts I come across during my day-to-day work. The success of this project can be measured by the fact that in the last full year of "rad-blogging," more than 30,000 visitors came to the site from all over the world, with thousands of queries from patients, colleagues, and many interested students. Rad-blogging might well become a new easy method of information exchange and opinion building in Radiology.

Creating an Interactive Web-based e-Learning Course: A Practical Introduction for Radiologists

With the development of e-learning and its ability to provide rich animated content rapidly to a wide audience, new methods for teaching medical imaging have evolved. E-learning tools allow building of learner-focused structured courses. Standards such as shareable content object reference model (SCORM) or Aviation Industry Computer-based Training Committee (AICC) guidelines and recommendations provide the framework required to combine text, images, videos, animations, and quizzes for learning assessment, even if each of these elements is created with different software. The main features to consider when choosing a learning management system are content management, assessment and reporting tools, customization options, course delivery, administration, and security. The tools for building a Web-based course with pages containing text, images, videos, and Flash animations are now accessible to any radiologist. Open-source learning management systems and content authoring software are available at no cost. The authors developed e-MRI.com, a free Web-based e-learning course with interactive animations and simulations, self-tests, and clinical cases to demonstrate the potential of the latest advances in e-learning and pedagogy applied to magnetic resonance imaging physics.

Understanding the internet, website design and intranet development: a primer for radiologists

The internet has become an essential part of daily life for almost all radiologists and yet few fully understand how this works or how best to harness the technology within the workplace. This article will explore the basics of computer networking which has allowed the internet to become a valuable resource. In addition, the process of designing and implementing a website or intranet site for the benefit of radiology departmental administration and education will be discussed. The options of how to develop a website, what to include, and how to achieve this using easy to use, freely available and low-cost software will also be explored.