Online medical education in ophtalmology

Continuing medical education for ophthalmologist is important and demanded from the board of ophthalmic organizations. The use of new multimedia possi bilities provided by the internet, offers an alternative to acquire the tra ining sessions requested by the board. Aim of the paper is to show the effo rts made,to place an internet-based training website for ophthalmologists b y transferring live ophthalmology events via the Internet. The live-transfe rs of selected lectures is ralized by transferring the original sound compa tible to the software. "Real-Audio-Player" with an rate of 8000 Hz (encodin g-depth 14 bits). By using this software it is possible to follow the lectu res live. It includes also 2 live-pictures of 2 digital camcorders to show the appropriate slides from the lecture. The live br were afterwards revise d and are available at any time as "on-demand lectures" with original sound and slides. Since November 1997, 15 continuing medical education events fo r ophthalmologists of the University Erlangen-Nurnberg,Germany and frrom ot her universities were live broadcasted covering all aspects of phthalmology can be viewed as "on-demand lectures" with original-sound and slides under the internet-addresse http://www.onjoph.com/deutsch/live.html. The broadca sted events of workshops were watched via the Internet with the appropriate software by 3500 persons, and approximately 5200 persons were listening at least one of the lectues since 1997.