Annals of Bums and Fire Disasters - vol. IX - n. 1 - March 1996

CD-ROM REVIEW

NEW!

THE ONLY FACILITY OF ITS KIND

CD-ROM "BURNS" INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA HYPERTEXT by M. Costagliola M.D., V. Garcia Torres M.D., J. Joannovich M.D., G. Magliacani M.D., M. Masellis M.D., S.W.A. Gunn M.D.

A COMETT PROJECT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. Coordinated by MEDITERRANEAN BURNS CLUB and realized by INFORMED s.r.l.

CD-ROM "Bums" is the first international specialized product on burns for personal computers of a scientific interactive multimedia hypertext, developed through academic, hospital and informatic c9ilaboration.An instrument that can be consulted autonomously, the hypertext offers a rapid and effective analysis of the problems arising in hospitals that admit patients.
"Burns" can be used as a specialized teaching aid in degree courses in the burns field from burn prevention and treatment to disaster management; each module can be compared with a training course.
700 pages of text; 8 books divided into chapters; 600 colour images, 160 animations; more than 5 hours of interactive reading with sound commentary; 3 years of planning and elaboration on a CD-ROM of only 12 cm diameter, I mm thick and a few grams in weight.
The CD-ROM "Burns" is a flexible product that can be handled at every training level by medical students, physicians, specialists in burns, paramedical personnel, and voluntary workers as regards prevention, first aid and initial response in fire disasters.
The product is now available in English and Italian versions.
Consultation of CD-ROM "Burns" requires at least a minimum 386-based PC microprocessor, 4 Mb of random access memory (RAM), Hard-Disk, Mouse, VGA Card 640 x 480 x 256 colours, colour monitor, MS-DOS 5.0 operating System or later versions and Windows 3. 1, CD-ROM reader and 16-bit sound card SOUNDBLASTER compatible with loudspeakers.
Price USA $500 + shipping & handling.
Available from
INFORMED
Multimedia Medical Informatics Corporation Via Roma 471 - 90139 Palermo Italy
Tel.: 39.91.323723; Fax: 39.91.581249

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

"...The Mediterranean Burns Club introduced a multimedia interactive computer/CD-ROM educational piece at the recently held ISBI meeting in Paris.
Although obviously the entire program cannot be reviewed, I was able to work with the program at the ISBI meeting and get a general feeling for the presentation.
This review is designed to highlight some of the programming and educational components featured in this piece.
It is difficult to decide whether to start with some of the innovative programming to provide the user with choices of interactive menu screens for moving around within the program, or to describe the various educational components and some thoughts about their applications and usability in an educational setting. Although the actual material contained in the program is extensive, it would be of no value were it notfor the shell that has been developedfor INFORMED to drive the program.
Those data elements that were reviewed, however, did appear to be current and up to the standard ofcare provided in the United States.
"...This very extensive work prepared over the last years by Mediterranean Burns Club represents an excellent burn educational piece... "
Sidney F. Miller MD in: Software exchange, Journal of Burn Care Rehabilitation, 16: 1623,1995.

"I consider the program "Bums" on CD-ROM a very practical teaching tool for everyone who is interested in burns. The program is set up in such a manner that the range ofpeople that may use it goesfrom nurses through medical students even to burn specialists. To my knowledge this very informative CD-ROM is the first comprehensive "publication" on burns in this new medium and should be present in every burn center and other teaching facilities. " Rudy Hermans MD, Former Prof. of Burn Treatment University of Amsterdam Medical Advisor for Euro Skin Bank

"...The multimedia didactic system uses a computer and CD-ROM disk, which comprises temporary knowledge on burn medicine beginning with prevention, through collaboration between prominent specialists from four countries, and is applicable for therapy in clinical practice and teaching processes as well.

"The CD-ROM is an open system which may be completed with new knowledge. It can be a suitable and beneficial tool at all work places in burn medicine, medical faculties, universities and institutesfor continual education and postgraduate study.
Leo Klein MD, PhD
Dept. of Surgery, Burns Unit
Purkinje Military Medical Academy, Czech Republic

"...Educational technology is evolving rapidly and although there will always be need for the printed word, more sophisticated yet easy-to-follow computerized teaching packages are covering all technical fields through CD-ROM interactive multimedia hypertext. The first such hypertext dealing with the entirefield ofburns and thermal injury has just been released jointly by MBC and Informed. Taking all the conceivable aspects of this complex problem from A to Z, the package provides a unique and excellent didactic medium that can be usedfor teaching, training, refreshing, simulating or self-testing at all levels, andfor all medical and nonmedical personnel concerned with prevention, treatment and rehabilitation ofburn injuries.

"Adding to the critical acclaim of all users, WADEM congratulates its friends in the MBC on this achievement, and is proud that all six specialists involved in its production are members ofthe Association.

WADEM INSIGHT