Macdoctors Blog

It seems I have shaken the tree at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR). My proposal to remove the DRM from the online version of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR) has cause a considerable amount interest. As excitement has mounted there is concern as to how the publisher will perceive it. I think that there are enough people interested in freeing JVIR so all other physicians can read online for free such that we may need to present the proposal next year officially..

I have been research the issues DRM, copyright, and content in the digital age. Essentially I am writing a term paper after a 25 year hiatus. YUCK! Other than grammar, the rules we were taught for the structure and form sure make the paper seem so stiff. Thus, I opted to focus ti more as a researched blog than a true "paper". Currently I am just slopping down my thought in a somewhat organized form. I hesitate to call it a first draft, as it is a little too disorganized. Maybe an alpha, definitely not a beta yet.

There is a nice post over at MedGadget that links to several other posts which muse on whether the iPad will be a medical device hit. They offer may cons against the iPad and point out some pros for its use.

Here is the link to MedGadget: http://bit.ly/9mEwT9

Here is my synopsis of and thoughts on the of the points in the articles.

I just received an email from my friend in academics that is helping me present the DRM removal proposal. He has talked to several of the higher up members at SIR. So far it has been received with positive interest. Hopefully we will present our proposal at the meeting. The feedback I have received from people about the last post has been uniformly positive; but only one comment, come on guys, fill free to comment. If we can get SIR to remove the DRM restrictions from the online version of JVIR, then perhaps it will come off another and another...

Hi, I am an Interventional Radiologist in private practice. I am frequently frustrated when trying to look up medical information online. With the advent of the internet, one would think that information would be much more readily available. I frequently find that not to be the case. When looking up information during residency, I would do a Medline search in the school’s library and the school’s license would allow access to the journals. Now, out in the real world, I am often thwarted by a journal’s pay wall, whether I arrived via Google or PubMed.

I, like many of you I suspect, am anxiously awaiting Apple’s upcoming announcement, if the rumor mills prove accurate. In reading through Don McAllister’s post, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the massive utility an “iSlate” product would have during a typical office day.

Although I use my iPhone in nearly every encounter (coupled with an iMac in each patient room), the utility of having a larger, although still portable, device to use in interacting with patients will be a Godsend:
- reviewing radiology images
- showing/viewing procedural videos

We just had the distinct pleasure of witnessing the next evolution of epocrates with the integration of it's OTC module. With the integration of this nodule, physicians now have extensive information on a variety of over-the-counter agents including various uses, dosing and more importantly the litany of formulations a particular over-the-counter medication is a constituent.

Well, as you can all see, development continues (whilst keeping the patients happy). Believe we have most of the bugs worked out in the forums which should be easier to navigate. Still want to fix some minor items as well as begin posting some reviews and articles. Stay tuned!

Well, our sincere thanks for everyone who has visited and contributed since the site revision. We're still having a few hang-ups here and there, particularly with formatting of forum comments. Regardless, we're getting there.

Our sincere thanks to all of the referrals to our growing community!