MEDI INFO
The E-Mail News Letter of the
Medical Informatics Subcommittee of the
Sri Lanka Medical Association -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vol 1: No 8: 1997 NOVEMBER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
1.AN APOLOGY
2.MEDIINFO WEB SITE
3.SLMA E-MAIL ADDRESS
4.THIS MONTHS USEFUL LINKS
5.FEATURE: WHO Warns of Risk of Selling Medicine Over Internet
6.FEATURE: Are You Internet Dependent ?
7.READERS COLUMN: A Point of View
8.SUBSCRIBER SUPPORT
How to subscribe
How to unsubscribe
How to send a message to the editors
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1. AN APOLOGY

As a result of a transmission error beyond our control only parts of Mediinfo Volume 1: No 8 were received by some subscribers. Due to many requests we retransmitted the issues again. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.

The Editors

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2. MEDIINFO WEB SITE

Visit the Mediinfo Web site At http://infolanka.com/org/mediinfo.

In addition to the current issue you can find all back issues of mediinfo plus links to Sri Lankan Medical Web sites.

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3. SLMA E-MAIL ADDRESS.

SLMA has a new e-mail address - slma@eureka.lk

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4. THIS MONTHS USEFUL LINKS The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists http://www.rcog.org.uk/

Americana Heart Associations Session Highlights Online http://www.medscape.com/Home/MedPulse/111497.html#02

Doctor's Guide to Migraine http://www.pslgroup.com/MIGRAINE.HTM

Doctor's Guide to Depression http://www.pslgroup.com/DEPRESSION.HTM

Doctor's Guide to Enlarged Prostate (BPH) http://www.pslgroup.com/ENLARGPROST.HTM

Doctor's Guide to Strokes http://www.pslgroup.com/STROKES.HTM

Beginner's Guide to Internet Chat http://www.download.com/PC/EdFeature/CurrentFeature/0%2C15%2C0-675-1%2C00.html?dlpd

The Screen saver Gallery http://www.download.com/PC/EdFeature/CurrentFeature/0%2C15%2C0-894-1%2C00.html?dlpd

The World Wide Club for the Biological and Medical Community http://BioMedNet.com

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5. FEATURE: WHO Warns of Risk of Selling Medicine Over Internet

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that unregulated promotion and sale of medicine over the Internet could pose risks for public health. A working group of medical experts, pharmacists, merchants and legal specialists met recently in Geneva to study how to fight abuses facilitated by the worldwide computer network which largely escapes national regulations.

The experts published 18 recommendations but conceded that controlling the Internet was difficult and not necessarily desirable and instead appealed to the industry to police itself and promote ethics.

They recommended for example, that countries publish guidelines for Internet users estimated at around 60 million people and growing rapidly. Only customs officials and post offices can check international sales of medicine through the internet but these regulations are week in practice, said Juhan Idanpaan-Heikkila, head of the WHO's division of management & pharmaceutical policies. But it was possible to stop illegal sale of medicine on the Internet by dealing with those who were promoting the products, he added.

Another danger is that a private individual may order medication without the advice of a doctor of even a pharmacist, and products may be sold that carry health risks or have no health benefit at all.

But the working group said the Internet was also useful in spreading information which is lacking in the third world.

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6. FEATURE: Are You Internet Dependent ?

Internet addicts roam cyberspace in search of social support or sexual fulfillment rather than information according to a study released at the American Psychological Association (APA) convention.

"Pathological Internet users are looking for the ability to create a persona", said University of Pittsburgh psychologist Kimberly Young.

She also noted that for those people who surfers from "low self esteem, feeling of inadequacy or frequent disapproval from others", creating a secret on-line identity can be very tempting.

To determine the addictive Internet behaviour Young set the following 10 criteria:
- thinking about the Internet when off-line
- feeling a need to spend more time on-line to achieve satisfaction
- being unable to control Internet use
- feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down on Internet use
- using the Internet to escape from problems or feeling of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression
- lying to family members or friends to conceal the extent of Internet use
- risking the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of Internet
- spending an excessive amount of money on on-line fees
- experiencing withdrawal (increased depression, anxiety) when off-line
- staying online longer than originally intended

Those who four or more of these criteria over a twelve month period were deemed to be 'Internet Dependent'. Are you ?

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7. READERS COLUMN: A Point of View Dear Colleagues,

May I draw your attention to an important issue which warrants priority. I hope anybody will agree that there is an antagonism towards the doctors in the society today which is fast developing. The senior members of the profession would probably feel this better because they can always compare the situation prevailed few years ago with the present. Reason for this may be multifaceted. It may be that the attitudes of the society as a whole have changed that everybody is very critical about the other, who ever who comes to contact with. We all know, with the increasing stresses and strains of the so called modern society today, people meet the doctors more often than ever before. So doctors may be just another group among a lot of other groups being criticised.

Majority of those "patients" may not be having organic illness as such and successful treatment may not be easy. The expectations are very much high and the patients expect wonders from the doctors instantaneously.(like the switch and bulb phenomenon....!) The moment they fail to achieve it they start criticising the doctor left right and centre, mercilessly. Very often they change the doctor and insult added to the injury, the second doctor fuels the fire against the first doctor.

We must not forget that the Doctors are also a part of the society and these stresses and strains are equally felt by them as well. They are also charged to the same extent or may be to a higher extent as the laymen who seek help (ie. Patients) from doctors. The OPD , Ward , Channeled centre , GP surgery are the meeting points of these two highly charged groups that is the "Charged doctor" and the "Charged patient".

Dear colleague, Shall we sit down for a few minutes everyday and think about the dwindling doctor patient relationship and the resultant antagonism toward the doctors and the ways and means correcting it?

Open for discussion.....

Dr. Ajith Wijayasundara

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8. SUBSCRIBER SUPPORT

How To Subscribe: send an email with the following message to vajiradx@sri.lanka.net SUBSCRIBE TO MEDI INFO <your name/your e-mail address>

How To Unsubscribe: send an email with the following message to vajiradx@sri.lanka.net UNSUBSCRIBE TO MEDI INFO <your name/your e-mail address>

How To Contact The Editors: Dr. Vajira H.W. Dissanayake - vajiradx@sri.lanka.net Dr. Shyam Fernando - shyam@sri.lanka.net

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Published by the Medical Informatics Subcommittee - SLMA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------