Medical webwatch.

BestBETs (Best Evidence Topics) http://www.bestbets.org was initiated by consultants in the Emergency Department, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK, to provide physicians with rapid access to the best current evidence on a wide range of clinical topics. "Browse" or "Search" will display structured literature reviews relating to carefully worded three-part questions. The BETs are designed specifically for Emergency Medicine, and each topic is written by one author and reviewed by a second. Submissions are welcome, and the information for potential authors on how to construct a BET is an education in itself. Each BET has "Clinical Bottom Lines" providing a succinct takeaway, while the "New BETS" listing under the "News" tab could be your preferred bookmark. The authors state that the facility has contributed to a culture of questioning within the Department, which they hope will benefit their patients, as well as the staff and students who work there.

Streaming Video http://www.uth.tmc.edu/schools/video/streamvideo/ms/msvideo.html from the University of Texas Medical School is a large selection of videos of their Grand Rounds, listed by department. There are also 6 patient education categories. You might consider noting the dates and times of their live-video Grand Rounds from the menu bar for each category.

Pathology Case of the Month http://moon.ouhsc.edu/kfung/JTY1/Com/Index.htm from the Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma. Each case opens with a brief clinical history with the option to reveal diagnosis. This is followed by a discussion elucidating detailed pathology, presentation, pathogenesis, epidemiology, along with associated references. The cases are presented under "System Presentation" or "System Diagnosis." Although there are only one or two cases each month, the archive goes back through 2004 to 2003. The website says: "The focus is on uncommon cases with classic pathologic features or common cases with unusual pathologic or clinical features." Usefully differential diagnoses are included, as are the obligatory pathology quizzes.

Another pathology website offering quick reviews is Case Studies http://www.ec.upstate.edu/path/cases/cases_cv_ie.html from State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Department of Pathology. It has 10 categories, each presenting a number of short histories along with a number of questions and revealed answers relating to images of both histology and gross pathology.

I find the "Art of Otolaryngology" page of the Virtual Museum American Academy of Otolaryngology http://www.entnet.org/museum/exhibits/index.cfm particularly interesting, but I always was a sucker for old illustrations that seem to be imbued with the pioneering spirit of bygone times. The webpage opens with an interesting history of the Academy under "Evolution of a Speciality" and moves on through 10 other exhibits. The "Gems of the Collection" has illustrations of old instruments that have a dignified senescence and a timeless academic sonority. After your leisurely tour, and to bring you back to the present day, "Tracheotomy: The Last Resort" has a list of well-known people who have undergone tracheotomy.

Your Genes, Your Health http://www.ygyh.org/ is produced by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and discusses 15 hereditary conditions under "What causes it?," "How is it inherited?," "How is it diagnosed?," "How is it treated?," "What is it like to have the disease?," and "More information." The "What causes it?" section utilizes a comprehensive series of animated cartoons with succinct annotations. The animations are easily assimilated and one might be deceived into dismissing them as superficial when in fact they progress through some in-depth aspects of the diseases. Although some items on the side menu are applicable for patient education, other parts will offer students an introduction to some fascinating etiology. Similarly, the video presentations by physicians will offer multifaceted illustrations for students, while the patient's "What's it like to have it?" experiences will inculcate a therapeutic empathy.

On the home page at http://www.genetests.org/ hit "GENEReviews" on the top menu bar and then "Titles" on the bottom of the left side menu, for a huge A to Z index of diseases that have a genetic-based etiology. Each is considered under "Summary," "Testing," "Molecular Genetics Testing," "Physical Abnormalities," "Diagnosis and Differential Diagnosis," "Prevalence," "Management," "Treatment & Therapies," and "Genetics Counseling." A very necessary keyword-driven glossary appears in a small window below the scrolling text. Although some of the molecular genetics tests are quite esoteric, each overview is balanced by more clinical considerations, ending with a collection of outsourced help and support references. Sponsored by the University of Washington, Seattle, it describes its mission as: "By providing current, authoritative information on genetic testing and its use in diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling, GeneTests promotes the appropriate use of genetic services in patient care and personal decision making."

Pediatric Cardiology http://www.kumc.edu/kumcpeds/cardiology/cardiology.html is a series of images and videos from the University of Kansas, Medical Center, offering a complete picture of congenital heart defects in 5 sections: "Radiographs," "Diagrams," "Echocardiographs--Still and Video," and "Electrocardiograms." There are also 2 lectures in outline illustrating the application of the theory to the clinic.

E-mail: [e-mail] with your favorite websites.