SIM Quarterly [In brief, Issue 1]

Concern over potential harm arising from the advertizing of 'medicinal' products on the Internet was highlighted by a report in the BMJ [1] last year (Bower 1996). The prospect of pharmaceutical industry sponsorship of medical Web sites likewise necessitates a closer look at how existing advertizing law relates to this new medium. The British Healthcare Internet Association (BHIA, formerly the British Medical Internet Association) has approached the Medicines Control Agency in the UK, offering itself as a 'sounding board' for discussion concerning pharmaceutical advertizing on the Internet. The BHIA is in the process of developing a position statement relating to the advertizing and sale of prescription-only medicine over the Internet. Readers able to contribute to this discussion should contact Dr Paul Galloway, BHIA Chairman.

Those interested in the US perspective may wish to read FDA and the Internet: Advertising and promotion of medical products. The Federal Drug Administration Web site contains an online transcript of this meeting, held on October 16-17, 1996:

<URL:http://www.fda.gov/opacom/morechoices/transcript1096/fdainet.html>

1 Bower H. Internet sees growth of unverified health claims. BMJ 1996;313:381.

Bruce McKenzie MB, ChB
GP Registrar
Chesterfield, UK

Quality issues receive attention

Assessing the authenticity and accuracy of Internet resources is presently compounded by the lack of standards and poor editorial control over online content. Several groups have recently begun to address these problems in various ways. The Leeds Interactive Medical Education (LIME) project is creating an up-to-date database of classified and peer-reviewed education resources [1]. The Health On the Net Foundation Code of Conduct requires that Web sites abide by certain 'principles of practice' before they can display the Foundation's logo of endorsement. The US Department of Health and Human Services has produced 'best practice' guidelines based on DHHS experience on the Internet. The British Healthcare Internet Association (BHIA) has also defined standards for medical publishing on the Web, and a recent editorial on this topic appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association [2].

Run by John Mack (President of VirSci Corporation), the MEDWEBMASTERS-L mailing list is a forum for Webmasters and developers of medical Internet resources. It aims to discuss and derive standards for the legal, ethical, and moral issues involved in developing and delivering credible medical information through the Internet. To subscribe send 'subscribe MEDWEBMASTERS-L your-name' (substituting appropriately) to LISTSERV@SHRSYS.HSLC.ORG. The list also has an associated Web page.

HON Code of Conduct:
<URL:http://www.hon.ch/Conduct.html>

World Wide Web applications and the Internet best practices and guidelines (DHHS 1996, 26 Jun):
<URL:http://www.os.dhhs.gov/progorg/oirm/bestguid.html>

Quality Standards for Medical Publishing on the Web (BHIA):
<URL:http://www.bhia.org/document_park/standards.htm>

MEDWEBMASTERS-L page (VirSci Corp.):
<URL:http://www.pharminfo.com/conference/MWM-L.html>

1 Berry E, Parker-Jones C, Jones RG, Harkin PJR, Horsfall HO, Nicholls JA, et al. A systematic methodology for assessing WWW medical education materials. In: Arvantis TN, Baldock C, Lutkin J, Vincent R, Watson D, editors. MEDNET 96. European Congress of the Internet in Medicine Programme and Abstracts; 1996 Oct 14-17; Brighton, United Kingdom. Brighton: University of Sussex; 1996. p. 40-1.

2 Silberg WM, Lundberg GD, Musacchio RA. Assessing, controlling, and assuring the quality of medical information on the Internet: caveant lector et viewor - let the reader and viewer beware. JAMA 1997;277:1244Ð45.

Bruce McKenzie MB, ChB
GP Registrar
Chesterfield, UK

COPINE network initiative for Africa

The UN/OOSA (United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs) is sponsoring a Euro-African initiative to put a geosynchronous satellite over Africa, tying it to Europe (both West & East) to serve - in order of priority - health, education, agriculture, environment, science & technology, commerce, local government, and disaster management. Cost: ECU 33 million (US$ 42 million) over 6 years, with 95% of the project financed by Europe.

The Web site (http://www.un.or.at/OOSA_Kiosk/coord/crdcomex.html) does not go into much detail, but the twin objectives of the study, as formulated in an early draft I have seen, are as follows. First, to set up and support collaborative projects in African countries in areas such as health and education, which will lead to an increased level of socio-economic growth. Second, to enhance communications capabilities in participating countries, and to help people use it for effective information exchange and networking. A mixture of state and commercial participation is envisaged. Access to appropriate information, literature, and conferences is considered fundamental and will be offered by the network. Institutional and professional linking is expected to promote competent practices among institutions and health professionals throughout connected countries. Health education and postgraduate training will be furthered by the system.

Although not expressly mentioned, clearly this initiative will at some point provide access to the Internet.

Jack Woodall PhD
Director, ProMED-mail
New York, USA

VA emerging pathogens initiative

An initiative by the US Veterans Administration will collect information about patients diagnosed with illness caused by 14 emerging pathogens. The data, collected at each VA medical center, will be transmitted to the Austin Automation Center (AAC) in Texas for use nationally.

The 14 pathogens or related diseases included are: Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE); hepatitis C; penicillin-resistant pneumococcus; Clostridium difficile; tuberculosis; Group A streptococcus; Legionella; Candida; Cryptosporidium; E. coli O157:H7; malaria; dengue; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; and leishmaniasis.

Software will be created to collate information for each inpatient stay and outpatient visit in which one of these pathogens is indicated. The data will contain demographic and clinical information. The program will gather and transmit information, and provide reports reports for the local medical center. Medical centers will then be able to perform epidemiological analyses of the occurrence of pathogens at their own facilities and within their own patient populations.

Source: Microbe-Virus-Vector-Monitor (MVVM):
<URL:http://www.infi.net/~gengel/MVVM.alpha.index.html>

Jack Woodall PhD
Director, ProMED-mail
New York, USA

Society for the Internet in Medicine

Comments to: simq@cybertas.demon.co.uk

Copyright © 1997 Society for the Internet in Medicine. All rights reserved.
Date: June 3, 1997
Document URL: http://www.cybertas.demon.co.uk/simq/issue1/brief.html