The Education for the Developing Countries:Sharing Books and Professional Experiences on the Web

1
The Education for the Developing
Countries Sharing Books and Professional
Experiences on the Web
Presented at
cyberNephrology A New Opportunity for the
Profession A Tutorial and Interactive Seminar

• Michele L. Hales
• University of Alberta
• Edmonton, AB CANADA

Bologna, Italy
November 24, 2000
2
Programs of Interest

• COMGAN (Commission on Global Advancement of
  Nephrology)
• RENAL-TECH Computer Donation Project
• Educational/Teaching Resources
• Discussion Groups (NephDevel)

3
COMGAN

• Purpose -
• Aid regions of the world where a need for better
  renal care is foremost
• Goal -
• Provide assistance to these areas via ISN
  programs such as
• - the fellowship program
• - presidents CME program
• - library enhancement program
• - travel grants
• - slides on Renal Parenchymal Diseases
  Hypertension
• - visiting scholars program
• - scholarship training program

http//www.isn-online.org
4
COMGAN Contd

• Organization Leadership
• Formed as a Commission of ISN in 1995
• Chaired by Dr. John Dirks of the University of
  Toronto and Toronto Hospital
• 5 working subcommittees that cover the globe
• Africa
• Asia
• Central and South America
• Eastern and Central Europe
• Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet
  Union) and Middle East

5
COMGAN Contd

• Activities -
• Most work is that of fact-finding missions, site
  visits and short courses
• Courses
• Moscow, June 1997 350 in attendance
• Istanbul, July 1997 800 in attendance
• Partnering with other organizations societies
• American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
• Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology (APSN)
• European Renal Association (ERA)
• European Society of Paediatric Nephrology (ESPN)
• Society of Latin American Nephrology
  Hypertension

6
Renal-Tech Donation Project

• Established by Zina Munoz to provide for computer
  education and linkage in developing countries
• Cooperative program with the ISN
• Donate computer hardware and software
• Provide computer/Internet training to renal units
  in developing countries as well as to families of
  children with renal disease in the US

http//www.renal-tech.org
7
Pilot Program in Nepal - June, 1998

• In June of 1998, the Renal-Tech Project initiated
  its first on-site pilot program.
• Eight computers, six laptops and two desktop
  units were donated to three hospitals in the
  greater Kathmandu area
• The computers were donated by Toshiba Corporation
  of Japan, Compaq Corporation, and Lucky
  Computers.
• Members on the team participated in various
  functions
• - medical lectures
• - lectures on internets use in medical
  settings
• - training and demonstration of equipment

8
Renal-Tech Donations To Date

• Nepal (June 1998)
• Nigeria
• Cuba (Spring 1999)
• Argentina
• Kosovo (December 1999 May 2000)

9
Focus on Kosovo June 2000
10
Renal-Techs Main Goal

• To expand communication between Renal-Tech and
  the recipients so that there remains a sharing of
  knowledge and information to benefit the
  worldwide community of renal patients.

11
Educational/Teaching Resources

• Schrier Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney
• (to be distributed free to developing countries)
• ISN Video Legacy CD-ROM
• Banff Allograft Pathology Conference WWW site
  content placed on CD-ROM
• Educational Slides on Renal Parenchymal Diseases
  and Hypertension

12
Schriers

• 5 volumes
• 66 chapters
• 2500 Images
• Entire product on-line in searchable form at
  www.kidneyatlas.org

http//www.kidneyatlas.org
13
ISN Video Legacy Project

• This project is headed by Drs. Stewart Cameron
  and Kim Solez
• Twenty- three interviews with nephrologists of
  exceptional merit, have  been recorded to date
• The first CD-ROM came out in 1997
• 5000 copies were made and distributed in North
  America and Europe
• A new CD is currently in the works and should be
  available in 2001
• The Commission attempts to include both
  Bibliography and CV in the CDs

14
Banff Conference on Allograft Pathology

• CD-ROMS Produced
• Third Banff Conference (1995)
• Fourth Banff Conference (1997)
• Fifth Banff Conference (1999)
• Features
• More than 400 full colour images
• Many of the presentations are accompanied by a
  full-text abstract
• Full text search capabilities
• Links to World Wide Web
• Conference video segments
• Easy to use interface

15
Renal Education
Keeping Physicians Updated

• Through the Internet, physicians can quickly
  consult experts anywhere in the world about local
  problems.
• Part of the Renal-Tech mandate is to provide
  continued support for physicians and support
  personnel about dialysis, transplant issues and
  general nephrology or computer queries
• CD-ROMs can be easily created and sent to
  developing countries

16
Our Goals

• Link all world countries together through a
  global nephrology e-mail system
• Create a natural disaster response program
  through the Internet that can help direct rescue
  efforts worldwide
• Create an educational program that can either be
  transported to developing countries through the
  Internet or CD-ROM
• Grow the Renal-Tech project
• Continued prosperity of COMGAN

17
Conclusion
We have strived to offer the desired continued
educational resources to developing countries by
providing the following

• Technical support
• WWW sites
• E-mail discussion groups
• Educational content on CD-ROM
• Computer hardware and software

18
Special Thanks

• John Dirks Director, COMGAN
• Zina Munoz Director, Renal-Tech
• Gary Green Director, of New Technologies NKF
• John Daugirdas cyberNephrology Board Member
• Steve Fadem cyberNephrology Board Member
• Robert Schrier cyberNephrology Board Member

19
FOR MORE INFO...
Michele.Hales_at_UAlberta.CA