I recently returned from a one-day trip to find 72 new e-mails awaiting me. Advertisements, e-blasts, bed utilization data, practice billing data and committee correspondence, often with multiple iterations of responses, were all arrayed quite democratically by chronology without hierarchy, except the occasional bold type or other keyboard stratagem to denote the sender’s estimation of importance.
Faced with this tsunami of information, I recalled that the advent of the computer had initially been hailed as the portal to a shorter work week. The actual effect seems to be that we have lost the “time out” that occurred each night, each weekend and during vacation. This suspension of work activity, so essential for attention to family, creative thoughts and various personal activities, is elemental to our sense of well being. Now, even while we sleep, the number of e-mails waiting continues to increase, lying in wait to greet us at the office like a Christmas card or a letter bomb, depending on their contents.
These Luddite musings passed quickly when my thoughts became crowded with the positive attributes of computers, which have changed the face of our specialty in slightly more than a quarter century. CT scanning, MRI, neuronavigation, surgical simulation, online patient education, electronic meeting registration, abstract submission, and yes, even correspondence, have either been made possible or improved by computers.
Computer savvy is fast becoming an essential tool in our profession. Internet access is a vital means of reaching out to patients and staying in touch with the latest professional developments. Twenty-five percent of Americans now have Internet access. An astonishing 96 percent of neurosurgeons have Internet access on their primary computer, according to an AANS study. Yet it’s an open question of how often and adroitly they use the Internet.
Our cover story is an acknowledgement of the central role of the computer in neurosurgery. Future issues of the Bulletin will feature a regular column on computer topics. Our goal is to give practical advice to readers about how to introduce or enhance the use of the computer in their practice and private lives. John Oró, MD, wrote the cover article and will write the computer column. A pioneer, he began working with computers in 1984. Since then, among other Internet projects, he founded Cybermed in 1993, an online publishing company, and served as editor of Neurosurgery On-Call from 1997-1999.
While we will continue to explore this topic during subsequent issues of the Bulletin, it is my personal perspective that we (and I include myself in this category) who are less sophisticated can take some major steps to benefit from the positive aspects of computer technology.
Get Involved. Sure, it’s difficult to admit lack of omniscience in anything technological. In my own instance, it was my interest in patient education that led me, with a near dread of computers, to accept the role of associate editor of the AANS/CNS Web site, Neurosurgery://On-Call® (N://OC®). Serving as editor of the public pages has allowed me to pursue my interest in education and learn about technology that I had avoided.
Keep Current. In this rapidly evolving environment, last year’s “state of the art” concept may be relegated to history’s trash bin. Yet the pace of change, while rapid, is evolutionary and not anarchy. You need not have been involved from the beginning of computer development to be an expert, and yesterday’s expert is only as proficient as his or her ability to continue to learn about new developments. Join the evolution!
Get Help. An experienced friend or office computer whiz can demystify computer technology. A few minutes of instruction, on occasion, can turn into a vast reservoir of knowledge.
AANS is a great resource, too. A wonderful feature of N://OC® is “Find A Neurosurgeon.” This page has grown to one of the site’s most visited components, receiving more than 1,700 visits a month. All actively practicing members of the AANS/ CNS are listed, and listings can be upgraded for a small fee.
The AANS also is collaborating with WebMD.com, drKoop.com, Medem and SpineUniverse in various ways to promote neurosurgery and to better serve the public.
Just as the Luddites could not stop technological advances from changing their lives, we must recognize the next time we are swamped with e-mails or hesitant to use the Internet in our practice that with progress comes problems. As professionals our futures are inextricably linked to the use of computers. With the support of the AANS, we can minimize the downside and enhance the value of this new technology.
A. John Popp, MD, Editor of the AANS Bulletin, Chair of the Washington Committee, and Henry and Sally Schaffer Chair of Surgery at Albany Medical College.