An argument for the next step in community dialog
Robert S. Greenberg, M.D.
Pediatric anesthesia as a specialty is an ever-changing exposure to ideas, questions, solutions, and new challenges. These must be negotiated amongst the members of the community of specialists “managing these hurdles shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues. We can't work in a vacuum; the answers are embedded in the conversation, whether as a participant or merely an observer“ but one must be present to hear it.
The creation and development of the electronic world has provided an opportunity to respond to the evolving pressure on each of our lives. There once was a time that, for instance, a monthly meeting of our Division to ponder the latest writing of our colleagues (known as Journal Club) permitted us to consider the merits and failings of new techniques, research directions, and solutions to our clinical, research, and education challenges. (Even the word "club" suggested a sort of social aspect of the interaction.) But today, with real limits on time, space, and interest, it's frankly impossible to assemble enough participants to merit a quorum, much less a consensus. There just isn't the time allotted to make it happen. Likewise, the breadth of practice has required some definition of focus areas of expertise: General, Cardiac, Pain, Outpatient. Besides, because of their extemporaneous nature these discussions inevitably devolved into "how I do it" (and so it is right) from the "elders" revealing more anecdote than scientific evidence - to say nothing of how this might intimidate or stifle the un-initiated.
Likewise, such conversations were inevitably limited to the local community, without the frequent cross-fertilization of thought and insight afforded by [inter-]national meetings (which are too infrequent to manage the exponential growth of ideas and solutions in any meaningful way), and all too often muffle the individual voice with the momentum of the masses.
The good news is that most of us have the fundamental skills to participate in basic email and web browsing. And this skill set – combined with the advancing technology cascade – can take our experience to the next level, for ourselves and our patients.
The beauty of the internet is that it offers instantaneous communication (when you want it, where you want it). It not only can detach the time/space constraint, but can permit reflective time to consider the issues, experience, and resources enabling one to compose a truly constructive response “ perhaps including a reference to a supporting article, paper, or picture. In fact, the broadening technologies suggest an ever-widening opportunity for creative and productive communication.
Here's the Vision: to leverage the power of the internet and our common computing expertise to create a framework that will enable a community of pediatric anesthesia, critical care, and pain specialists to embrace and extend their academic experience. A new Club!
Here's how it starts: point your web browser to http://PedsAnesthesia.net/forum and register. Since this is a world-wide community, full real names are used. Once validated (a step to minimize issues with spam artists) you'll be able to see two main areas for discussion: The Community and Journal Club that each have sections to help organize the discussion. (See table)
Community
- A World of Work (Humanitarian Opportunities/Experience/Contacts)
Eureka (Research and Investigation)
I was Wondering (Engage others in Anesthesia Thoughts)
Left Seat/ Right Seat (Teaching/Learning and Education)
Never Again (Experience that others can learn from)
- The Podium
Cardiac Anesthesia
Critical Care
Pain Management
Peds Anesthesia
Clearly we are at a turning point in how we will participate in the dialog, and while this isn't the only way to join in on the conversation to discuss those ideas, questions, solutions, and new challenges, it is a next step. Join in and say something.