Why an EKG Encyclopedia:
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Why an EKG Encyclopedia:The idea of an EKG encyclopedia came to me during my years of teaching at McGill University. Teaching is an gratifying and an important part of medicine. This being said, and in spite of the hundreds (thousands?) of students that I have worked with over the years, there is the desire to teach to more students. Further I realized that the teaching that is of value to one student, is of use to the next. Hence I recommend a basic text on EKGs and kept a file of EKGs for each new crop of students. I questioned if this was the best way to go, particularly in the light of modern technology. Even more so, as the OLJC Web site has had over 80,000 visits to the home page and 30,000 visits to the teaching page .
The Web:The resolution of computer screens is limited, and the resolution is further limited as the file sizes must be constrained so that the viewer can quickly view the EKG. Navigation on a web site can also be confusing. The problem of copyright is serious, as graphics on the Web are easy to copy, reuse and pirate. (It is hoped that the users of the encyclopedia will show their appreciation by respecting the copy write!) It is also clear that like academic books, a web publication can not be considered a source of income.
On the other hand, a Web based encyclopedia easily provides what a printed text can not. The Web advantages include: rapid and low cost distribution, multilingual support, up datability (including comments), and almost unlimited space for black and white and colour figures as well as video clips.
The form of Web publishing:It is my intent to include, in the encyclopedia, a "traditional text" on EKG interpretation, but the main thrust of the encyclopedia is to simulate the environment seen in hospital teaching. We group tracings of similar interest (e.g. Devices for Electrical Therapy) and present cases with relevant clinical data and comments from MDs in the field (e.g. the effect of MI on the paced EKG). The pages are set up to promote learning by allowing the person to view the images first and see the comments later. Entry to the EKGs is via a list defining the tracings or via a "test yourself" page that give no clue to the interpretation (e.g. Case 18: ) Each index pages is held as a constant window and generates new daughter windows (which should be closed after they are viewed) to ensure easy navigation on the site. Modern compression and image processing techniques are used to preserve image quality and shorten down-load times.
Students most keenly appreciate the challenge of mastering EKG interpretation. Hence, there is probably no better way to present a subject than to first learn it and then teach it to another (as is the custom in the McGill residency program). It is therefore natural to extend this concept to the EKG encyclopedia. The section on Myocardial Infarction is a edited by a McGill Medical student working on the Molson project for medical teaching. This work brings with it the fresh views of a student and is a welcome addition to the encyclopedia.
Your Role:The role of the readers of this encyclopedia is to use it to improve health care. The role of the readers is also to feedback suggestions and comments (please identify the URL of the page you are commenting on) so that others can benefit from their insight.