Jan. 21, 2000
Contact: Kara Gavin, [email protected], 734-764-2220
U-M's TransWeb celebrates five years as Internet's top destination for organ transplant information
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - One of the most unique "virtual communities" on the World Wide Web celebrates its fifth anniversary today, as the nonprofit TransWeb organ transplant information site marks half a decade of providing up-to-date and accurate information on transplants; supporting transplant candidates, recipients and donor families; and educating the public, particularly students.
Founded on Jan. 21, 1995 in the early days of the Web, TransWeb: All About Transplantation and Donation (http://www.transweb.org) has long been considered a definitive source of transplant news, information, statistics, personal stories, memorials, relevant resources and links.
Recognized as such by the New York Times, the Encyclopedia Britannica and CNN, It spotlights the amazing progress in transplantation rates and success, the generosity of those who donate after their death or during their life, and the need for more people to register as donors to reduce the critical shortage of donor organs. TransWeb began and is still based at the University of Michigan Health System, but receives contributions from throughout the worldwide transplant community.
In its five years, TransWeb's site has grown from 41 pages of simple text to 11,310 text, audio and image files, much of it contributed by volunteers worldwide who have been touched by the "gift of life." The site serves tens of thousands of Web users each month, and has been visited by people from 112 countries. Thousands of people ask to receive TransWeb's monthly e-mail updates.
"Five years ago when the World Wide Web was an open frontier, we sensed its power to bring people and good information together," says webmaster Eleanor Jones. "We could never have imagined then what we have today, a global site where we can share life-changing experiences, provide answers to frequently asked questions, present up-to-date news, dispel myths and misconceptions, and encourage the decision to donate."
That comprehensive scope has earned TransWeb numerous awards and recognitions, including one of only five spots on Popular Science magazine's 1999 "Best of the Web" list for health and medicine sites.
Now, Jones and TransWeb's board of UMHS transplant physicians and professionals are preparing for their next project, in partnership with the Transplantation Society of Michigan, the U-M's Institute for Social Research, and TransCon Media: a multi-media tour of the organ donation process from the perspective of the donor family. The project will incorporate social science research, donor registration and family notification of the donation decision.
Funded by a new $900,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of an effort to increase organ and tissue donation, the project will complement TransWeb's "The Transplant Journey" at http://www.transweb.org/journey.
That site, also funded by HRSA's Division of Transplantation, was launched in 1997 to educate children and teenagers about the transplant process. It includes text, photos, medical illustrations, audio clips and a full glossary. Today, "The Transplant Journey" site attracts students around the world who are learning about organ transplants as part of their school curriculum.
"TransWeb was at the forefront of providing organ donation information using state-of-the-art Internet technology. Its growth mirrors the public's appreciation and use of the Web for both getting information and communicating with others about their health concerns," says HRSA Administrator Claude Earl Fox, M.D., M.P.H. "We're pleased to support this resource that informs people about donations and facilitates critical family donation discussions."
In addition to "The Transplant Journey," the site's other unique features include a huge "frequently asked questions" database, a donation quiz and the top 10 myths about donation, a reference area, a memorial section where donors' families can remember those whose organs are now keeping others alive, and a subject index and search engine.
"Some issues in transplantation are divisive, since the use of a scarce donor organ for one deserving recipient means that another patient must go without," says TransWeb director and U-M transplant surgeon Robert M. Merion, M.D. "But the enthusiasm, caring and genuine commitment of people like Eleanor Jones has allowed Transweb to be a positive force by publicizing the need for organ donation and celebrating the success of transplantation.
TransWeb's audio interviews and thousands of photos from its webcasts of major transplant-related events are unparalleled. Most recently, a team of TransWeb editors and volunteers traveled to Budapest, Hungary to cover the World Transplant Games, an Olympics-style competition for organ recipients designed to showcase the success of transplantation and the need for donors. The site is http://www.transweb.org/webcast/99wtg.
Those efforts, and ongoing improvements to the entire site, have been funded by TransWeb's many sponsors, who include private individuals, organizations like the Transplantation Society of Michigan, and HRSA as well as corporate sponsors in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications and computer industries.
"TransWeb is possible because of our sponsors generosity, and because of the efforts of hundreds of professional transplant staff and volunteers who have worked in concert to enable our site to grow steadily in scope and quality," says Jones.
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