PIE (Paediatric Interactive Education) in the Sky: a National Collaboration in Paediatric Technology-based Medical Education.

Daniel Lin*
New Childrens Hospital
daniell@nch.edu.au

On March 8th - 9th, 1996 representatives from Paediatric Teaching Hospitals around Australia met at the New Children's Hospital, Westmead, NSW. The meeting was initiated after discussions between Paediatricians from Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney who have been developing educational medical software programs.

The objectives of the group are to:
á collaboratively produce interactive medical educational multimedia programsá co-ordinate and avoid duplicationá planning of curriculum and educational modulesá to develop quality assurance and product evaluation

There is already significant expertise in the group, with experience in the production CD-ROM titles. The group are expecting to produce 3-4 CD-ROM titles per year over the next 3 years.

The formation of the consortium will result in common educational content amongst the Australian Teaching Hospitals and University medical teaching programs. The consortium is the first national medical group who have organised a collaborative and co-operative approach to developing software. This will result in better programs because of incorporation of the best resources available within Australia.

This gives all students within Australia greater access to high level paediatric specialists. This collaborative approach will result in high quality software which will be able to compete with material from overseas. This collaboration has improved communication between the medical schools and teaching hospitals. Collaboration has resulted in sharing of resources, expertise in educational design and multimedia production techniques.

Currently the Paediatric Professorial HeadsŐ Committee (PPHC) are planning to meet to discuss ways to establish a national core curriculum, national assessment tools, digital resources, communication forum and staff development Paediatrics and Child Health medical student education. A similar concept and organisation has already been established in the US called COMSEP (Council on Medical Student education in Pediatrics) which addresses the issues of medical education in Paediatrics on a national basis.

The PIE consortium has members which not only develop interactive multimedia resources form medical students but applies its resources to other target audiences including general practitioners, house staff, consultants and general community. The projects which are currently in progress and in completion stage are:

Sydney - The New ChildrenŐs HospitalPaediatric Asthma - CD-Rom & web-basedPICU equipment and procedures - CD-RomCentrePaeds - web projectParents Facts sheets - CD-Rom

Adelaide - Flinders Medical CentreChildhood Seizures - CD-Rom (1996 ASCILITE Major Project Award winner)Paediatric Cardiology - CD-RomPaediatric Procedures - CD-RomImmunisation - web sitePIE - web site

Melbourne - Royal ChildrenŐs HospitalPaediatric Emergencies - CD-RomPaediatric Dermatology - CD-Rom Childhood Development - CD-Rom

Brisbane - Royal WomenŐs & ChildrenŐs HospitalExamination of the newborn - CD-Rom

At the current rate, paediatric departments around Australian can expect tohave available seven CD-ROM titles early next year with approximately25-30 hours of teaching material.

The Multimedia Unit was established at the New ChildrenŐs Hospital in January 1996. The unit serves to produce high quality technology-based educational resources for the hospital in medical and non-medical areas.

The field of medical education is a rapidly developing and expanding one. There are a number of projects currently being developed in Paediatrics as CD-Roms and internet projects which will be demonstrated. Production of multimedia applications is resource and personnel demanding. The development of multimedia educational resources should always be based on sound educational principles which encourage active, self-directed, problem solving and expert learning skills. The use of technology-based applications will no doubt broaden the way we think, learn and communicate in medicine.