Medical Blog Basics & Medical Uses of RSS Feed Readers December 17, 2008 Presented by Judy Kammerer, MA, MLIS, AHIP Medical Librarian, UCSF Fresno & CRMC Email: [email_address]

What is a Blog? Simple website that allows you to enter information without coding Data is instantly published to your website Individual entries are called “posts” Posts are dated with newest at top Easy to add frequent content Good forum for sharing information Allows others to add comments

Simple website that allows you to enter information without coding

Data is instantly published to your website

Individual entries are called “posts”

Posts are dated with newest at top

Easy to add frequent content

Good forum for sharing information

Allows others to add comments

Popular Free Blog Platforms WordPress: http://wordpress.com/ Blogger: https://www.blogger.com/start

WordPress: http://wordpress.com/

Blogger: https://www.blogger.com/start

What Blogs Allow You To Do Share personal information, opinions, creative works, commentary, professional expertise Entries posted chronologically and can be organized into topical folders (categories) Separate pages can be added with content, but individual posts only appear on home page Include pictures, audio & video links, links to web pages & Power Points Allow comments or make private

Share personal information, opinions, creative works, commentary, professional expertise

Entries posted chronologically and can be organized into topical folders (categories)

Separate pages can be added with content, but individual posts only appear on home page

Include pictures, audio & video links, links to web pages & Power Points

Allow comments or make private

What Blogs Will Not Do Pages cannot be formatted into tables – appearance is set by template chosen Excel spreadsheets cannot be posted

Pages cannot be formatted into tables – appearance is set by template chosen

Excel spreadsheets cannot be posted

Why Use a Blog? Patient education Discussion with colleagues (local/global) Create interest groups Promote your practice / programs Develop an interest & organize online information Community service / post screening tools

Patient education

Discussion with colleagues (local/global)

Create interest groups

Promote your practice / programs

Develop an interest & organize online information

Community service / post screening tools

Cautions HIPAA considerations Avoid using any of the 18 health information identifiers when reporting interesting cases Include a disclaimer on home page Avoid impression of giving medical advice Copyright considerations Links are okay Journals table of contents are okay Avoid PDF article attachments

HIPAA considerations

Avoid using any of the 18 health information identifiers when reporting interesting cases

Include a disclaimer on home page

Avoid impression of giving medical advice

Copyright considerations

Links are okay

Journals table of contents are okay

Avoid PDF article attachments

What are RSS Feed Readers? Blog entries are published using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) RSS content can be read using software called “RSS reader,” “feed reader,” or “aggregator” The reader checks the user’s subscribed feeds (blogs) regularly for new content & downloads it for easy accessibility It provides an easy method of keeping current (pulling the newest information from multiple sources into one place)

Blog entries are published using RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

RSS content can be read using software called “RSS reader,” “feed reader,” or “aggregator”

The reader checks the user’s subscribed feeds (blogs) regularly for new content & downloads it for easy accessibility

It provides an easy method of keeping current (pulling the newest information from multiple sources into one place)

Free RSS Reader Platforms GoogleReader: www.google.com/reader/ Bloglines: www.bloglines.com FeedReader: http://www.feedreader.com/ NewsGator: http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NewsGatorOnline/Default.aspx

GoogleReader: www.google.com/reader/

Bloglines: www.bloglines.com

FeedReader: http://www.feedreader.com/

NewsGator: http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NewsGatorOnline/Default.aspx

Reasons to Use RSS Readers You prefer to have new information aggregated in one place to check regularly, including: Favorite blog sites PubMed searches (you can set up searches so that you receive citations meeting that criteria as soon as they are published) Professional association blog updates Table of Contents from current issues of favorite journals

You prefer to have new information aggregated in one place to check regularly, including:

Favorite blog sites

PubMed searches (you can set up searches so that you receive citations meeting that criteria as soon as they are published)

Professional association blog updates

Table of Contents from current issues of favorite journals

Examples Popular physician’s blog: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/ List of medical blogs with search function: http://medlogs.com E-Health article on “Entering the World of Medical Blogs”: http://medgadget.com/archives/Medical%20Blogs%20ACOG.pdf

Popular physician’s blog: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/

List of medical blogs with search function: http://medlogs.com

E-Health article on “Entering the World of Medical Blogs”: http://medgadget.com/archives/Medical%20Blogs%20ACOG.pdf