Chapter 108 The Impact of Computer Resources on Child Neurology
As computer technology becomes more integrated into our lives, much of the information that we have now, including summarization of knowledge in textbook chapters, will be accessed primarily through electronic means. This chapter examines how such changes are unfolding: in the ways we communicate and discuss information, in the ways we marshal information to diagnose and treat patients, and in the ways we educate newcomers to the field and keep experienced clinicians up to date. Table 108-1 at the end of the chapter lists websites of interest to child neurologists.
Table 108-1 Selected Websites of Interest to Pediatric Neurologists
| Name | URL (Address) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ACADEMY AND ASSOCIATION SITES | ||
| American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry | http://www.aacap.org/ | “Facts for Families” gives parent information on a variety of topics. Useful for office handouts |
| American Association of Neurological Surgeons | http://www.aans.org/ | A well-designed website that features society information |
| American Academy of Neurology (AAN) | http://www.aan.com/ | Academic and administrative publications, AAN News, practice parameters, directory information, neurology rating scales, and clinical trials |
| American Academy of Pediatrics | http://www.aap.org/ | A variety of patient and professional information |
| American Epilepsy Society | http://www.aesnet.org/ | Research about epilepsy and education for epileptologists |
| American Psychiatric Association | http://www.psych.org/ | CME program via the Internet, as well as publications and news |
| Child Neurology Education and Research Foundation | http://childneurologyfoundation.org/ | Research and advocacy arm of the Child Neurology Society. Information about funding opportunities |
| Child Neurology Society | http://www.childneurologysociety.org/ | Academy, meeting, and employment information |
| International Child Neurology Association | http://www.icnapedia.org/icna/ | Academy and meeting information |
| Society for Neuroscience | http://web.sfn.org/ | Largest neuroscience research association |
| CLINICAL DECISION-MAKING | ||
| Isabel | http://www.isabelhealthcare.com | Commercial, pediatric decision-making software |
| SimulConsult | http://simulconsult.com/ | Neurological syndromes. Peer-reviewed, frequently updated |
| CLINICAL TESTING INFORMATION | ||
| GeneTests | http://www.genetests.org/ | A very in-depth database of available molecular testing |
| CME SITES | ||
| American Medical Association | http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/continuing-medical-education.shtml | Includes database of CME sites |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Program | http://consensus.nih.gov/ | Program based on NIH consensus statements |
| Virtual Lecture Hall | http://www.vlh.com/ | Large listing of online CME courses |
| ELECTRONIC TEXTS | ||
| Bookshelf of the National Center for Biotechnology Information | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=books | Searchable collection of online biomedical books |
| eMedicine | http://emedicine.medscape.com/ http://emedicine.medscape.com/neurology |
Peer-reviewed texts on a variety of medical and neurological topics |
| GeneReviews | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/GeneTests/?db=GeneTests | One of the best and most up-to-date reviews of genetic diseases |
| Medcyclopaedia | http://www.medcyclopaedia.com/ | Based on the Encyclopaedia of Medical Imaging |
| MedLink Neurology | http://www.medlink.com/ | |
| Medpedia | http://www.medpedia.com | A collaborative site aimed at sharing knowledge about health and medicine among medical professionals and the general public |
| Merck Manual | http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html | Searchable editions of the Merck Manuals |
| Miami Children’s Brain Institute Child Neuro Wiki | https://braininstitute.mch.com/wiki/Category:Public | A catalog of information relevant to pediatric neurology |
| Neurologic Exam | http://library.med.utah.edu/neurologicexam/html/home_exam.html | Text, figures, and movies are provided to illustrate various elements of the neurologic examination |
| OMIM: Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man | http://www.omim.org/ | Superb, continuously updated online version of Dr. Victor A McKusick’s book. Disorders searchable by symptoms and signs, with references |
| Neuromuscular Disease Center | http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/ | Comprehensive site on neuromuscular disease |
| Orphanet | http://www.orpha.net | Portal for rare and orphan diseases |
| PediNeuroLogicExam | http://library.med.utah.edu/pedineurologicexam/html/home_exam.html | Pediatric neurological examination, with movies |
| UpToDate | http://www.uptodate.com/ | |
| Whole Brain Atlas | http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html | Excellent MRI images |
| Wikipedia | http://www.wikipedia.org/ | Collaborative encyclopedia |
| MEDICAL EDUCATION RESOURCES | ||
| Baylor Neurology Case of the Month | http://www.bcm.edu/neurology/case.cfm | |
| Child Neurology Case Studies | www.childneurologysociety.org/education/casestudies | |
| Eye Simulator | http://cim.ucdavis.edu/EyeRelease/Interface/TopFrame.htm | Great simulator for understanding functions of eye muscles and pupils |
| Headache Cases for Medical Students | http://www.americanheadachesociety.org/residents_fellows/MedicalStudentHeadacheCases.asp | From the American Headache Society |
| HEAL (Health Education Assets Library) | http://www.healcentral.org/index.jsp | Free digital material for health sciences education, with user reviews and tagging (searchable keywords) of resources |
| Lesion Localizer | http://lesionlocalizer.com/ | Cases with clinical and pathological correlation. Fairly basic |
| MedEdPORTAL from the Association of American Medical Colleges | http://services.aamc.org/30/mededportal/servlet/segment/mededportal/information/ | Peer-reviewed publication service and repository for medical and oral health teaching materials, assessment tools, and faculty development resources |
| Medical Student website | http://www.medicalstudent.com | Links to many online medical texts |
| Neuroanatomy: draw it to know it | http://drawittoknowit.com | Neuroanatomy education resource |
| NeuroLearn; Neuropathology learning program, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center | http://moon.ouhsc.edu/kfung/jty1/index.htm | Includes anatomy, descriptive pathology, case reviews, and quizzes |
| Neurolist cases | http://www.neurolist.com/site/neurolist_cases.htm | |
| NeuroSAE: AAN’s Self-Assessment Examination in Clinical Neurology | https://www.aan.com/elibrary/continuum/index.cfm?event=moc.home | |
| Neuroscience Tutorial | http://thalamus.wustl.edu/course/ | Illustrated guide to clinical neuroscience associated with first-year course for medical students at Washington University |
| RetinaDx | http://kellogg.umich.edu/retinadx/ | “Retinal cases” and teaching images from the Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan |
| Stanford University Medworld | http://www-med.stanford.edu/medworld/home | Frequently updated. Edited by medical students at Stanford University |
| Visible Human Project | http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible_human.html | |
| Whole Brain Atlas | http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html | Neuroimaging of normal and diseased brain |
| MEDICAL LITERATURE BROWSERS AND ABSTRACTING SERVICES | ||
| Amedeo | http://amedeo.com/index.htm | Weekly e-mails with lists of selected recent publications (e.g., epilepsy, migraine) |
| Google Scholar | http://scholar.google.com/ | Search engine for articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions, from many resources |
| PubMed | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ | An extremely useful and updated search engine for the Medline database of abstracts and citations |
| PubMed Central | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ | Digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journals, including full-text articles |
| MISCELLANEOUS | ||
| Child-Neuro | http://www-personal.umich.edu/~leber/c-n/ | Linkage to other relevant sites and mailing lists, clinical trials, specialized laboratories, etc. |
| Child-Neuro listserv | http://www-personal.umich.edu/~leber/c-n/e-mailUM.html | Includes a link to images and videos pertaining to cases discussed by e-mail |
| Neurolist | http://www.neurolist.com/ | Adult neurology listserv, including specialized neuropsychology, EEG, MS, and ALS lists |
| Sermo | http://www.sermo.com | Web-based discussion forum for physicians in many specialties |
| NEUROLOGY AND PEDIATRICS PATIENT AND PHYSICIAN RESOURCES | ||
| American Academy of Neurology (AAN)’s Patients and Caregivers | http://thebrainmatters.org/ | AAN’s public education website, for comprehensive coverage of neurologic issues |
| American Academy of Neurology Practice Guidelines | http://www.aan.com/go/practice/guidelines | |
| BrainTalk Communities | http://brain.talkcommunities.org/forums/ | Interactive, online discussion about various neurology-related topics, through Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Child Neurology Knowledge Environment | http://www.icnapedia.org/ | Very useful compilation of news and announcements useful to child neurologists, from the International Child Neurology Association |
| Cochrane Library | http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/HOME | Regularly updated collection of evidence-based medicine databases |
| Cochrane Reviews | http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/ | Systematic treatment reviews |
| Decipher | https://decipher.sanger.ac.uk | Database for correlating chromosomal abnormalities and phenotype |
| Epocrates | http://www.epocrates.com/ | Commercial online and smartphone application with useful drug and disease information |
| GeneralPediatrics | http://www.generalpediatrics.com/ | Very thorough directory and search engine for pediatric resources |
| Genetics photographs | http://medgen.genetics.utah.edu/photographs.htm | Photographs related to genetic diseases |
| Harriet Lane Links | http://derm.med.jhmi.edu/hll/indexOLDNov2005.cfm | Catalog of pediatric information on the Internet |
| Health Care Professionals: Neurology | http://www.hcplive.com/neurology | Attempts to be a comprehensive portal of useful information for the health-care professional |
| Library of The Family Village | http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/library.htm | The ultimate catalog of Internet resources concerning neurological diseases and developmental disabilities |
| Malformation Terminology | http://research.nhgri.nih.gov/morphology/index.cgi | Definitions and photos of malformations of the head and extremities |
| Merck Medicus | http://www.merckmedicus.com/pp/us/hcp/hcp_home.jsp | Advertising-free medical portal with news, online learning resources, and diagnostic tools |
| National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) | http://www.ninds.nih.gov/ | NINDS homepage |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) | http://www.nih.gov/ | NIH homepage |
| Neuro-Ophthalmology Virtual Education Library | http://novel.utah.edu | Repository of digital materials (images, video, lectures, articles, and animations), to be used for educational and research purposes by health-care professionals, educators, patients, and students. The Moran Eye Center link on the page has numerous videos |
| PatientsLikeMe | http://www.patientslikeme.com/ | Forum for discussions between patients with neurological problems |
| Pediatric Commons | http://www.pediatriccommons.org/ | “A community of pediatric learning, teaching, sharing and collaboration” |
| Physicians Desk Reference | http://www.pdr.net/ | Web portal for drug and disease information, patient education, specialty news, journal abstracts, conference information |
| Phytube | http://phytube.com/MedicationVideos/tabid/62/Default.aspx | Videos providing information about medications used in child neurology |
| SeachingPediatrics | http://www.searchingpediatrics.com/ | A search engine for searching pediatric peer-reviewed information |
| University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics, Evidence Based Medicine | http://www.med.umich.edu/pediatrics/ebm/topics/neuro.htm | Pediatric neurology topics prepared by pediatric residents |
| U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | http://www.healthfinder.org/ | A nice gateway site for patient-related information |
| RESEARCH STUDIES | ||
| Center Watch “Clinical Trials In Neurology” | http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/area10.html | A searchable listing for patients and physicians |
| Child-Neuro: Research Protocols Seeking Patients | http://www-personal.umich.edu/~leber/c-n/seekpts.html | |
| National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Trials | http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials | From the U.S. National Cancer Institute |
| National Institutes of Health Clinical Trial Database | http://clinicaltrials.gov/ | |
| DISEASE-RELATED SITES (A SAMPLING) | ||
| Ataxia Telangiectasia | http://www.atcp.org/ | |
| Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | http://www.addforums.com/forums/index.php | |
| Autism Society of America | http://www.autism-society.org/ | |
| Brain Tumor: OncoLink | http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu/ | |
| Centers for Disease Control | http://www.cdc.gov/ | Excellent “Diseases & Conditions A-Z Index” |
| Cerebral Palsy | http://www.ucp.org | |
| Dystonia | http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/ | |
| Epilepsy Foundation of America | http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/ | |
| Genetics Home Reference | http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/ Neurological diseases: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/ghr/conditionsByCategory/show/brainandnervoussystem |
From the U.S. National Library of Medicine |
| Headache | http://www.americanheadachesociety.org/ | American Headache Society |
| Ketogenic Diet Site | http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/Medical/treatment/diet/ | |
| Leukodystrophy | http://www.ulf.org | United Leukodystrophy Foundation |
| Mental Retardation | http://www.aamr.org | American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) |
| Movement Disorders | http://www.wemove.org/ | We Move |
| Muscular Dystrophy Association | http://www.mda.org/ | |
| National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) | http://www.rarediseases.org/ | |
| Neurofibromatosis | http://www.ctf.org/ | Children’s Tumor Foundation |
| Neuropathy | http://www.neuropathy.org | Neuropathy Association |
| Periodic paralysis | ||
