Medical webwatch.

PDQ (Physician Data Query) http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cancerdatabase from the National Cancer Institute is a comprehensive database containing peer-reviewed summaries on cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, supportive care, complementary, and alternative medicine. There are separate access points for patients and health professionals. It also has a registry of approximately 2,000 open and 13,000 closed cancer clinical trials from around the world. Both adult and pediatric treatment summaries are included in these succinct wraps around the various aspects of cancer.

The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) presents Fast Facts http://www.aahpm.org/cgi-bin/wkcgi/search?fastfact=1&search=1 an eclectic series of 139 pertinent facts attending end of life/palliative care. For further educational resources visit http://www.aahpm.org/education/bulletin.html where a listing of selected articles from the quarterly AAHPM Bulletin is available.

From the University of Utah comes Knowledge Weavers http://www-medlib.med.utah.edu/kw/resources.html offering a selection of animated cartoons illuminating various physiological processes such as: "The Animated Heart," "Derivation of the ECG," "Oculocephalic Reflex." These are simple and effective illustrated tutorials that would be suitable for students. The "Pathway Quizzes (Neuroanatomy)" are more demanding but offer some amusing admonitions for incorrect answers to cheer you along. Also on this page are a wide range of higher level educational resources arranged under: "Interactive Cases," "Image Banks," and "Tutorials." This web site is a rich and enjoyable educational experience.

The Virology Time Machine http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/Tutorials/Time/Machine.html materializes in the online tutorials of Dr Alan Cann, Department of Microbiology, University of Leicester, UK. Select from a list of dates from 4 billion years ago to present time (and even into the future!) and then hit the "travel in time" button to call up a summary of contemporaneous events, both political and cultural, that sit alongside the virology notes and invigorate them with their historical complexion. The links are sourced from within the department's online presentations, and the resulting discourses are cross-referenced to both internal and external sources. This novel approach provides an interesting historical perspective on virology development alongside pertinent teaching files. Some of the pages have experiments that offer online simulations as a teaching aid. This is an unusual concept that works well.

Anemia.org http://www.anemia.org/professionals The "Medical Professionals" page from the National Anemia Action Council opens with three large icons that link through to some interesting resources: "Anemia Watch" is a PDF version of their latest quarterly magazine. Another icon links to a small slide library of PDF or Power Point slides that are "designed to educate health professionals on appropriate anemia management in specific clinical settings." And each month "Ask the Expert" answers selected questions that have been submitted by professionals. A side menu offers an attractive fare comprising: "Anemia Research"; "Monographs," which are a series of PDF presentations of anemia and comorbidities; "Chronic Kidney Disease," the PDF version of that journal; and "Anemia Guideline," an expert system that will take you through screening, diagnosis, or management of anemia pathologies. And finally, if you are not already satiated, the menu ends with an interactive "Economic Model" for calculating the economic cost of patients with anemia in a managed care setting. Anaemia.org is a web site with a packed hematocrit that will still send your pulse racing.

StATS (Steve's Attempt to Teach Statistics) http://www.childrens-mercy.org/stats is written by Steve Simon, Research Biostatistician at the Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO. From his "Short List of Topics" choose "Ask Professor Mean" for a longer listing of comprehensive answers to a number of questions sent in by readers. "Definitions of Terms" is a very useful glossary of statistical terminology. "How to Read a Medical Journal Article" opens with the quote: "No one who cannot rejoice in the discovery of his own mistakes deserves to be called a scholar," which emphasizes the value of a revision on assessing the statistical veracity of journal articles. "Professor Mean's Library" lists offsite resources relating to specific statistical areas. The "Research Methodology Weblog" is a bang up-to-date resource of current methodology. And finally, "Managing Your Research Data" is a real lifeboat when the work gets rough. At a time when research is playing an increasing role in training, and is an essential component in the ubiquitous best practice guidelines, an understanding of statistical analysis is an essential part of this paradigm. It is so very reassuring to have a resource such as StATS to call upon in the still of night when your pencil snaps.

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