Invited Manuscript Poster on Renal-Related Education American Society of Nephrology, Nov. 16–21, 2010 E-Pediatric Nephrology in India

Abstract

New tools such as blogs, social media networks, and audio and video podcasts in Web 2.0 have allowed better exchange of information among physicians across distances. The medical world has started embracing this new technology as it emerges. Wikis, blogs, and podcasts carry the potential of complementing, improving, and adding new collaborative dimensions to the health education currently in existence. There is a need for physicians in all specialities to adopt the new Web 2.0 technologies. This review features the innovative use of internet in disseminating renal education in Pediatric Nephrology in India.

Keywords:

• Internet
• renal education
• E-pediatric nephrology
• medical education
• social media

THE OFFICIAL ISPN WEBSITE

The official website of Indian Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ISPN)—http://www.ispn-online.org—was established in April 2008. The website has the essential information of office bearers, membership, fellowships, and upcoming events and conferences. The website also helps the users academically, as it has links to the current ISPN guidelines and past ISPN bulletins. Pediatricians and even patients are now able to access the website and discuss the queries regarding management of children with kidney diseases.

Pediatric-Nephrology.com

The website Pediatric-Nephrology https://www.pediatric-nephrology.com was designed in November 2009, integrating all the latest technologies like the blog with daily updates, forums for physician- and patient-related discussions, online polls on relevant issues, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feedback, integrated PowerPoint presentations, YouTube videos, social tagging like Twitter and Facebook, and newsletter services. The website features all the latest content in the field which is moderated by Dr. S.K. Sethi. Members can login to the website using a username and password and access the “members only” section with presentations and protocols.¹

INTRODUCTION OF PEDIATRIC RENAL GRAND ROUNDS

The concept of Virtual Pediatric Renal Grand Rounds was put into practice in December 2009. Pediatric Renal Grand Rounds is a broadcast of information every second week that includes recent developments in the field, conference and book watches, commentary on a recent study, physician self-perspectives, patient self-experiences, and learning cases for fellows and residents in pediatric nephrology. The “Grand Rounds” were created to address the need for continuing education and to provide professional support to general pediatricians by bringing current evidence-based practice into their homes. The link to the current “Grand Rounds” is delivered by e-mail to all the members of the website.^2–4 Twelve volumes of the “Pediatric Renal Grand Rounds” have been released to date. All “Grand Rounds” can be accessed at https://www.pediatric-nephrology.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=69. Three “Grand Rounds” with a special focus have also been released, namely, Acute Kidney Injury (https://pediatric-nephrology.com/index.php?view=entry&year=2009&month=12&day=09&id=14%3Apgrone&option=com_lyftenbloggie&Itemid=27), Disasters (https://www.pediatric-nephrology.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&year=2010&month=01&day=30&id=88:pgriv&Itemid=27), and Fellow’s special (https://pediatric-nephrology.com/index.php?view=entry&year=2010&month=06&day=16&id=221%3Apgrix&option=com_lyftenbloggie&Itemid=27). The Grand Round on Disasters (Earthquakes) and the Haiti experience of Pediatric Nephrologists was recently published.⁵

BLOGGING DURING CONFERENCES

During the current International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA) Meeting at New York (29 August to 2 September 2010), Pediatric Nephrology website (https://www.pediatric-nephrology.com) blogged about the day-to-day experiences of the meeting. Short teaching-oriented blog entries were entered on topics presented at the conference to share with the fellows and physicians who could not make it to the conference. Some of the posters were also posted at the website (https://pediatric-nephrology.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&tag=ipna-meeting&Itemid=27). Issue of Pediatric Renal Grand Rounds Volume XI was a focus on IPNA Meeting and has a synopsis of all the events and posters (https://www.pediatric-nephrology.com/index.php?view=entry&year=2010&month=09&day=12&id=290%3Apgrxi&option=com_lyftenbloggie&Itemid=68). The posts on the IPNA meeting were well appreciated by nephrology trainees and consultants who could not attend the meeting. It enlightened them of the new developments in the field, even though they were not present at the meeting.⁶

IMPACT

The website met with unprecedented success, with more than 50,000 hits in 2009 and 400,000 hits from 2010 until November 2010. The website now has more than 10,000 unique visitors from all parts of the world (majority from the United States, Russia, and India). The website opens on page 1 of Google with the search keywords “pediatric nephrology” and number 1, page 1, with the search keywords “pediatric nephrology blog.” The website has been linked with all related nephrology physician’s and patient’s blogs and regional pediatric nephrology websites. Pediatric Renal Grand Rounds (18 volumes to date) are now viewed and appreciated all over the world by patients, physicians, fellows, and pediatric nephrologists and nephropathologists, with contributions from the patients and respectable specialists.

FUTURE PROSPECTS

The use of the newly available technologies will surely create optimal knowledge-building opportunities for physicians and fellows. Integration of the new technologies offers a way to enhance fellow’s, clinician’s, and patient’s learning experiences, and deepen levels of learner’s engagement and collaboration within digital learning environments.

The readers are invited to access the website (https://www.pediatric-nephrology.com) and contribute to the pediatric nephrology virtual world.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.