Multimedia Resources for Health Sciences Education

The following Web-based multimedia resources provide creative and informative examples that can be used for a variety of educational purposes. Numerous disciplines from the health sciences are represented including the areas of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy.

Sites may require QuickTime, Shockwave, and Flash players to view interactive Web content. If you are using Internet Explorer 3.0 or above, your browser will automatically check for and install the latest versions when you open each movie. If you are using Netscape Navigator, you may download the players for free and follow the installation instructions. Shockwave and Flash are both available at http://www.shockwave.com and QuickTime at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Auscultation Assistant
http://www.med.ucla.edu/wilkes/intro.html
A unique way to utilize the multimedia capabilities of the Web to enhance teaching of physical diagnosis. This site was designed to assist medical students and health care professionals with learning how to distinguish between various heart and breath sounds. Using this site will require a computer equipped with a sound card and speakers. The site includes a brief introduction to murmur physiology, an audio listing of systolic murmurs, and various other sound files. Hosted by the UCLA School of Medicine.

Introduction to Cardiothoracic Imaging
http://info.med.yale.edu/intmed/cardio/imaging/
From the Yale University School of Medicine, this site features a wide variety of imaging techniques, imaging findings, and case studies to facilitate learning in the area of cardiothoracic imaging. Labeled images, a glossary, sound files (such as Transesophageal echocardiography), useful audio notes, and digital video all contribute to making this site a valuable resource.

Knowledge Weavers
http://library.med.utah.edu/kw
The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library Knowledge Weavers Project offers many Web-based learning programs and resources for health sciences education, including tutorials on ECGs, multiple sclerosis, and variety of custom-made animations. Of special note are the HyperHeart and Neuroantomy animations that require a Flash player. The site also features a multimedia catalog of images, illustrations, animations and videos that may be downloaded and used for educational purposes.

Medware
http://www.med.uc.edu/medware2/
Medware Homepage at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine features software materials created by students, for students. A limited but useful number of Shockwave movies and slides related to the Year I and Year II medical school curriculum are available.

Whole Brain Atlas
http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html
An information resource from Harvard Medical School for central nervous system imaging which integrates clinical information with magnetic resonance (MR), x-ray computed tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine images. Time-lapse movies provide a tour of brain images. Atlas sections include Cerebrovascular (stroke), Neoplastic (brain tumor), Degenerative, and Inflammatory or Infectious Diseases. Site also highlights the "Top 100 Brain Structures."

More animations:

3D Brain Structures
http://www.mice.gu.se/MICE/education/3DBWeb/MainMenu.html
The three-dimensional anatomy of the human brain containing freely rotatable VR objects of the Brain. Supported by Mednet, a non-profit organization for Managing Information Systems in Europe (MacIS Europe). Requires Shockwave.

Animated American Sign Language
http://www.bconnex.net/~randys/index1.html
Animated American Sign Language Dictionary was designed to help people learn more about ASL and the Deaf community. Users can select desired words to learn. After the sign loads it will begin to "animate" and will repeat the sequence four times slowly.

Cardiovascular Laboratory
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~branch/cvl/cvl.html
The Cardiovascular Lab Videodisc program presents realistic cardiovascular physiology experiments that traditionally have been conducted by health science students. In recent years many schools have deleted these experiments from their curricula. This program was designed to provide basic science students with some of the valuable hands-on learning experience of the traditional experiments.

Eye Simulation Page
http://cim.ucdavis.edu/Eyes/Version15/eyesim.shtml
The purpose of this simulator is to teach medical students and doctors how the eye motion will change with pathology of the eye muscles and cranial nerves and what to look for during a standard neurological eye exam. Requires Shockwave.

Interactive Atlases: Digital Anatomist Project
http://www9.biostr.washington.edu/da.html
An on-line information system in anatomy, the goal of which is to provide an "expert" anatomist that can answer queries from diverse Web users, both in the form of symbolic text and in the form of dynamically generated 3-D scenes.

Video:

Health Library Video Collection
http://www-med.stanford.edu/healthlibrary/videos.html
View over 40 health videos on this site for the latest from Stanford Medical Center. These titles are about 30-60 minutes long and address common health topics. Requires RealVideo player.