NEUROSURGERY://ON-CALL® was founded in part to subserve the mission of the AANS. Specifically, N://OC was intended to promote the specialty of neurological surgery and improve neurosurgical patient care. It has evolved into a powerful communication tool and educational resource for both practicing clinicians and the general public. Over the last quarter, N://OC has enjoyed ongoing stability in site utilization. During the month of March alone, 52,442 page impressions were logged to the AANS component of N://OC. Page impressions represent the number of actual pages viewed. Over 19,000 user sessions occurred and a total of 11,431 unique visitors were recorded. These statistics suggest that N://OC is an important vehicle for information.
Several New Projects
Several projects have recently been completed or are currently under way to enhance the utility of both N://OC and the AANS Web site within N://OC.
- The AANS Online Marketplace. This online store is a popular destination within the Web site. The products are primarily neurosurgical textbooks and AANS publications. The Marketplace has undergone a significant reorganization with a new scheme for categorizing publications. Each product now includes a more detailed and broader description of its contents. An improved key word search system has also been employed to facilitate more rapid and accurate retrieval of relevant products.
- Membership Application. N://OC staff is working with the membership departments of both the AANS and the CNS to develop an online membership application. This will allow prospective members of both organizations to complete all the necessary components of the application process online. It is hoped that this system will facilitate more rapid review of prospective members and ultimately an improved efficiency in enrolling new members.
- Guidelines Database. The AANS Department of Education and Practice Management recently completed a database repository of clinical guidelines at https://www.neurosurgery.org/guidelines/repository.asp. Working in conjunction with the Outcomes Committee, this database will be gradually expanded to include standardized recommendations on the breadth of neurosurgical clinical problems.
- New Member Benefits Page. This new page can be accessed at www.neurosurgery.org/aans/membership/benefits.html. The comprehensive page details the many benefits offered with AANS membership in terms of clinical education, practice management resources, professional services and service benefits. Each line item is hyperlinked to a detailed document regarding the specific benefit. This page is a useful relay point to investigate everything from continuing medical education opportunities to professional liability insurance and membership related discount programs.
- Neurosurgical Focus. Neurosurgical Focus is undergoing a facelift. This high quality online electronic journal is one of only eight similar electronic journals listed in Index Medicus. In the past, journal articles have been provided in PDF format to maintain the high quality look and feel of the Journal of Neurosurgery. Unfortunately, this format precluded extensive key word categorization of the individual articles; therefore, there has been no convenient method for conducting a search of the content of articles. The updated version, slated for release over the summer of 2001, will include a method for searching the entire holdings of Neurosurgical Focus and links to publication-quality PDF downloads. This will significantly strengthen the journal’s utility as a research tool.
- Capitol Hill Link. Finally, a new icon for “News from Capitol Hill” now provides a rapidd link to late breaking news from the Washington Committee. The new icon, which displays our nation’s Capitol Building, is accessible on many pages throughout N://OC and the AANS Web site. The Capitol Hill page will be updated frequently, providing an easy way to keep abreast of ongoing initiatives of organized neurosurgery.
N://OC continues to thrive in the turbulent waters of the Internet economy. It is an important online focal point for educational resources and communication. It continues to represent a valuable member service. Please stop by N://OC today and see what is new.
Joel D. MacDonald, MD, is Editor of NEUROSURGERY://ON-CALL®.