The Concept of Using Electronic Education System in the Therapy of Arrhythmia

Mrs. Christina Ramon
Dept. of Internal of Medicine C University of Münster, Germany

C.Ramon 1, N. Osada 2, B.Elbrecht 2, W. Köpcke 2, W. Haverkamp 11 Dept. of Internal of Medicine C University of Münster2 Institute of Informatics and Biomathematics University of Münster

A prototype of an electronic education system for the management of arrhythmia is being developed in a co-operation project. The goal is to answer the challenge of providing useful information connected with it. Target groups are physicians and medical students. This system provides quick access to valuable information. This paper discusses the content and structure of the system.

The system is not a substitute to textbooks or lectures or practical works, but may serve as a complement, which contributes to the learning process [1]. It is an electronic browsing system [2], which contains the actual knowledge about the treatment of arrhythmia. A rapid access to the information in the system is provided. In diagnosing arrhythmia, we have to keep in mind that the clinical signs and a typical ECG-finding play a very important role.

A search in WWW was done to collect some data as a feed back to the project. There are plenty of web sites that contain the topic, but none is comprehensive enough to provide the necessary information. There is no such system in German language. The material for the development of this system was provided by the lecturers.

A system of arrhythmia classification contains 31 preferred terms for the diagnosis. For every diagnose there is: definition - to limit the scope of it, causes, mechanism , diagnostic tools - i.e. based on ECG and clinical sign, and the management. The ECG diagnostic is designed systematically based on following criteria as could as possible: Frequency, Rhythm, P-Wave, PR-Interval and QRS-Complex. For some diagnoses it is difficult to maintain this pattern. Those are mainly recent and complex diagnoses, which makes it difficult to adapt it into the above mentioned criteria.

All the data then standardised and presented in HTML-based-Web.

The authors hope that the use of the system serves as self-assessment tool and might help to improve the management of arrhythmia in heart disease. The challenge for the future is to actualise and standardise it on regular basis.

Bibliography

[1] Iglehart, J: Forum on the Future of Academic Medicine. Academic Medicine 2000 75:245-250.
[2] S. Bürsner et al.: NeuroN - Rechnerunterstüztes neurologisches Nachschlagewerk. Teil 1: Analyse, konzeptuelle Wissenmodellierung und Formalisierung. 38. Jahrestagung der GDMS, Lübeck 1993.

We would like to introduce the system to the participants and presenting the facts that it is a challenge to develop such system for clinical needs. We bring an alternative solution in lacking of having such a system. We hope that the presentation contributes to the better development of educational system world wide.

Christina Ramon
Feuerbachstr. 11
59063 Hamm
Phone: 02381-57782
Email: cramon@homemail.com

CO-AUTHORS:

N.Osada (2)
B. Elbrecht (2)
W. Kˆpcke (2)
W.HAverkamp (1)

(1) Dept. of Internal Medicine C University of Münster, Albertschweitzerstr. 33, 48129 Münster

(2) Institute of Informatics and Biomathematics University of Münster, Domagkstr. 9, 48129 Münster

Phone: (2) 0251 - 8355270
(1) 0251 - 8348001
Email: N.Osada: osadan@uni-muenster.de
B.Elbrecht: Biel74@gmx.de
W. Köpke: Koepcke@mednet.uni-muenster.de
W. Haverkamp: haverkw@uni-muenster.de
Website:http://www.uni-muenster.de