Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To develop an educational resource on the anatomy and pathology of the eye and its adnexa that would be available worldwide. Methods: A web based interactive program was developed to provide self–directed learning on the anatomy and pathology of the eye. Because of the vast scope of the project contributors were recruited for text and images. Separate sections were created for the anatomy and pathology of each part of the eye and its adnexa. All technical terms were defined in a glossary. Throughout the program hypertext links were generated between the dynamic glossary and the text on the anatomy and pathologic states. All diseases listed on the anatomy and pathology pages are linked to full descriptions in the searchable disease database. These disease descriptions are cross linked to related diseases within the database and have a link to directly lookup references in PubMed of the National Library of Medicine. An on–line capability to regularly update the text as new information becomes available was also developed and the ability to add additional digitized images was established. A button was inserted on every page to allow users to provide feedback. All daily website usage data was logged. Results: To date >400 experts have submitted 17,089 text pages and 3,494 images. The program provides easy navigation and has direct access to a searchable database of almost 6,000 diseases. The glossary currently contains 5,377 definitions. At present there are 33,728 internal links to disease descriptions in the database. During the short time since its release >1,400 individuals from 55 countries have registered to use the resource. Over 600 feedback messages have prompted improvements and assisted in the detection of various types of errors within the program. The web pages of several professional societies have links to The EyePathologist. Conclusions: The EyePathologist is designed for use by a wide range of individuals that include the general public, medical students, vision scientists, pathologists, ophthalmic technicians, ophthalmic photographers, optometrists, ophthalmologists (EyeMDs), and ophthalmic pathologists as a teaching and reference tool. Monitoring of The EyePathologist use has revealed that it is a useful resource, especially for individuals in countries that lack access to eyepathologists.
Keywords: pathology: human • pathology techniques • pathobiology