For More Information Contact:Ken Sims, M.D., (402) 449-4967[email protected]
UNIVERSITIES LAUNCH UPCMD.COM TO PROVIDE MEDICAL INFORMATION TO HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONALS
EMBARGOED UNTIL SEPT. 5, 2000
OMAHA, Neb. -- Six prestigious universities today announce the launching of a new Internet service at UPCMD.COM to provide medical information to health-care professionals. UPCMD.COM is up and running with its first product, "Disease Diagnosis," which has about 15,000 pages of original material created specifically for the web to provide rapid access to information about diagnostic medical testing and the diseases themselves. The site is designed to facilitate better patient care, according its Chief Executive Officer Kenneth L. Sims, M.D.
The new Internet service is provided by University Pathology Consortium, LLC, which has contracted with medical professionals throughout the country to continually provide up-to-date information to subscribers. The consortium was formed and is directed by departments of pathology and laboratory medicine from Creighton University, Stanford University, the University of California at Davis, the University of California at San Francisco, the University of Iowa Research Foundation, and the University of Southern California.
"We have unique custom text organized with hypertext links so that it is easy to navigate. You can get to any part of it in 30 seconds," said Dr. Sims. "The Internet is the perfect distribution system for this type of knowledge. Medical knowledge develops so rapidly that books contain outdated information soon after they are published, but it's nearly impossible to know which information is outdated. There also is a limit to the amount of detail books can contain, but in this medium we're free to provide ample information."
As an example, practitioners unfamiliar with Leptospirosis or wondering about the most recent tests for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can learn the recommended initial testing, confirmatory testing and monitoring testing for these diseases in 30 to 60 seconds.
The information is continuously reviewed and updated and is available on an annual subscription basis. Prices, starting as low as $199 for the current module, will vary depending upon the subscription desired. Prices are designed to make the information affordable to all medical personnel.
"What makes this site distinctive is that it provides an authoritative medical resource designed to assist clinicians as they practice," Sims said. "They could look up information during a patient visit. Rather than simply posting textbook content, our authors are providing original material that will be updated as developments occur."
In addition to "Disease Diagnosis," other soon-to-be released products include "Evaluating Abnormal Test Results" and "Diagnostic Medical Testing in Psychiatric Disorders." This last module will provide testing information for detecting an underlying medical condition that may cause symptoms that mimic a psychiatric disorder. A comprehensive module, "Transfusion Medicine," will soon be completed and will be offered initially to large health-care organizations and hospitals only. This module will provide the most recent and comprehensive information about human blood, its therapeutic uses, risks and immediate adverse effects. Additional services will be directed toward pathologists who specialize in the diagnosis of cancer using tissue sections and studying individual cell preparations such as the pap smear. The consortium plans to develop an academic series that will include distinguished lectures, pathology images and continuing medical education opportunities.
Another important use Dr. Sims envisions for UPCMD.COM is as a worldwide source of current comprehensive medical information.
"The Internet is the most common technology in many developing countries," Dr. Sims said. "In some places it is easier to log on to the Internet than to find a telephone. We can make information available in places where books are both expensive and very hard to get."
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