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An academic website in reproductive medicine.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

This article describes how the author created an academic website in reproductive medicine, and presents data on visitor profiles. The website provides access to interactive lectures, computer-generated tests, quizzes, searchable databases, and a bulletin board for approved users. The website is international in scope, collaborative, asynchronous in delivery, flexible, and responsive to learner needs. Visitors from industrialized countries accessed the lessons on polycystic ovary syndrome, amenorrhea, and infertility. In 2004, the total number of unique visitors was 21,269.

Introduction

In recent years, increasing numbers of medical institutions in the United States and abroad have incorporated innovative methods of teaching and research using the Internet technologies (Barzansky et al. 2000; Jenkins, 2002; Zondervan et al. 2002). The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) website reveals several medical centers in the United States and Canada have also established departmental websites (APGO, 2005). The links provide information on what other institutions are doing with regard to medical education programs, residencies and fellowships, departments and faculty, patient care and research.

Besides healthcare professionals, many infertile couples are actively using the Internet for their fertility problems (Weissman et al. 2000; Epstein et al. 2002; Haagen et al. 2003). However, posting of information on the Internet does not always undergo peer reviews or need some standard for publication. The use of standardized curriculum and innovative techniques for providing education are important steps for graduate training of future doctors in reproductive medicine (Soules, 1994; Davis et al. 1995; Jenkins, 1999; Alvero et al. 2004). The World Wide Web provides a delivery system for transferring information to many users without the barriers of time and geography (Chu & Chan, 1998). Developing web-based learning represents an evolution that needs experienced website designers, surveys of the targeted audience, focus groups, and analysis of server data or a combination of these methods (Letterie et al. 1994,...

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