This April, the AANS begins offering neurosurgical case studies on the password-protected pages of www.MyAANS.org. Free and accessible only to AANS members, this new interactive educational experience will be driven by members’ case contributions. “The AANS Online Case Study project is designed to serve as a repository for neurosurgical cases that present the variation in disease presentation and management within neurosurgical practice,” said Bob S. Carter, MD, PhD. A member of the AANS Digital Technology Committee, Dr. Carter led the development of the case study project and will serve as its first editor.
Rather than limiting physicians to viewing an article or abstract, the AANS Online Case Study project offers a comment function that allows members to interact with each other in a secure and confidential environment. Because viewers’ comments are posted almost immediately, colleagues across the country have the option of gathering online to review a case and “discuss” it, or viewing and adding to cumulative commentary over time.
“Neurosurgeons can discuss the case online and learn from each other,” said Dr. Carter. “They can describe how they have managed a similar case in another way or offer insights into other aspects of the case presentation or pathophysiology.” Another quality that makes the AANS Online Case Study project valuable to members is its broad appeal. Cases can be submitted by residents, those in early practice or board-certified members.
“Cases will vary in complexity and content so that as the repository grows, every neurosurgeon will find one relating to his or her specialty and experience,” said Carter.
Submitting Cases
Members may submit cases online, using the familiar www.MyAANS.org interface.
The cases may be prepared in advance and then posted, or posted by entering content
directly online.
“Ease of use was important to the development team,” said Dr. Carter. “We wanted the interface to be one that is familiar to members, and we wanted neurosurgeons to be able to use formats they were already proficient in, such as PowerPoint or word processing programs.” Many types of files can be added to enhance the case presentation:
- Audio (MP3, WMA, WAV)
- Video (AVI, MPEG)
- MS Office (e.g. PPT, DOC)
- Universal formats (TXT, PDF)
“The online modality makes it possible to enrich the case presentations in a way that is difficult with standard print media,” said Dr. Carter. “And, any member of the AANS can submit cases that they observe in their practice, providing a wide breadth of member contribution.”
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Reviewing and Posting Cases
The Online Case Study project is overseen by an editor who receives each submission. The editor assigns the case to one or more reviewers based on the educational content. The reviewers assess the case and recommend whether or not the case should be posted. If a favorable review is received, the editor posts the case for AANS member viewing. The editor and all reviewers will be board-certified neurosurgeon members of the AANS.
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Each person who submits a case will see the status of the submission in a “my cases” area. They can develop the case presentation in multiple sessions, coming back to it as time allows and completing all of the editing before submitting the final version for review.
Viewing the Online Cases
After logging in at www.MyAANS.org, the viewer selects “Onlinne Case” from the left-hand navigation tool bar. The size and scope of the repository will increase as cases are solicited and submitted. Cases can be viewed chronologically, so new postings are easy to spot, as well as by subject area (vascular, tumor, spine, functional, pediatric, peripheral nerve). A title search feature also is available.
After selecting the case, the viewer sees a screen with the case description at the top, supplemental material such as audio, video or slides to the right, and viewer comments below. A significant amount of information is provided in the “help” section to assist viewers with questions about all parts of the process.
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CME and MOC
The AANS Online Case Study project is initially being offered without CME. However, a plan is in place to make neurosurgical continuing education credit available. “As the case index builds in size and scope, features will be added to assist members in meeting CME requirements and, in turn, the Maintenance of Certification requirements for the American Board of Neurological Surgery,” said Dr. Carter.
Member Feedback
As members explore the cases, they are encouraged to send their comments and suggestions to Dr. Carter, [email protected]. Board-certified neurosurgeons interested in serving as case reviewers also can contact Dr. Carter.
The AANS Online Case Study project is a project of the Digital Technology Committee, the Education and Maintenance of Certification Committee, and the Young Neurosurgeons Committee.
Kathleen T. Craig is AANS director of marketing.