October 9, 2003
SickKids launches an online teaching aid for clinicians
TORONTO - The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) launched today a new online teaching aid which illustrates child physiology, to assist physicians when explaining to parents the cause of their child's illness. The site can be found at http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/HowTheBodyWorks/default.aspx
In many cases, when explaining a child's illness, it is necessary to teach parents about the normal function of the organ involved so that they can understand the abnormality producing the illness. Visual aids typically used in this method of teaching are sketches drawn on the spot by the clinician, static illustrations from medical texts or brochures, or in some cases, rubber models.
"The child physiology site provides a new dynamic web-based resource for clinicians that can be referred to during a teaching session. Parents can then go home and review the site over the Internet at their leisure," says Gordon Tait, director of Medical Informatics in the Information Services Department at SickKids.
The interactive and animated Web site covers the heart, lung, and brain. The heart module shows the anatomy of the heart, the flow of blood through the heart and lungs, the contraction of the heart and the action of the cardiac valves, and the electrical activity of the heart that generates an electrocardiogram. The lung module covers anatomy of the airways and lungs, the mechanics of breathing, and the process of gas exchange in the alveoli.
The brain module allows the brain to be taken apart like a rubber model to show the interior structures. Each of the parts of the brain can be dynamically labeled and the images can be enlarged for a closer view of the structure's details. Drawing tools are also available on an overlay of the image to enable the caregiver to illustrate the particular area of the brain affected by the child's illness.
Future additions to the site will include similar interactive approaches for internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and kidney, and also for the eye and ear. Plans are also being developed to illustrate more specific diseases and illnesses that affect each organ.
The Hospital for Sick Children, affiliated with the University of Toronto, is Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children's health in the country. Its mission is to provide the best in family-centred, compassionate care, to lead in scientific and clinical advancement, and to prepare the next generation of leaders in child health.
For more information, please contact:
Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Suite 1742, Public Affairs, First floor Atrium
Toronto,
ON
M5G 1X8
Canada
Phone: 416-813-5058
Fax: 416-813-5328