CyberNephrology 2002 A Hands-On Training Program

1. CyberNephrology 2002A Hands-On Training Program Presented at the Sindh Institute for Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) Karachi, Pakistan - October 2002 by Kim Solez, MD and Judy Tarselli, RN

2. Contents: • Getting Connected • Exploring cyberNephrology • Discussion Lists: Joining, Lurking, Participating • Rules and Netiquette • Live Help or Majordomo? (Majordomo: At your command!) • Searching the archives • Special Situations Viruses, Vacations, Unsubscribing • Using the Special Resources • cyberNephrology for your Colleagues, Staff and Patients

3. GETTING CONNECTED Connections • Speed: Bandwidth - Modem, DSL, Cable • Cost: Flat rate, hourly/minute rate Internet Service Provider Anti-Virus Program • Preventive Medicine!

4. GETTING CONNECTED URL: www.cybernephrology.org

5. EXPLORING CYBERNEPHROLOGY HOME PAGE: • EDUCATION • COMMUNICATION • NEW VISION • ABOUT • HOME • What’s New?

6. The e-mail Discussion Groups It’s FREE! It’s easy to join! Join one group - or several!

7. The e-mail Discussion Groups THE ORIGINAL GROUP AND ITS ADAPTATIONS NEPHROL The original discussion list! “Home of the Nephrolers and Nephronauts!” Physician-oriented, partially moderated for non-physician non-renal specialist members. (Research, publishers, etc.) NEPHROL-Digest “Digest” form NEPHMIN “Minimal” Stripped-down version of Nephrol-Digest with all repetition and North American-specific content removed

8. The e-mail Discussion Groups MORE GROUPS FOR NEPHROLOGY PROFESSIONALS NEPHBSCI: Nephrology Basic Science NEPHCNPT: Discuss individual clinical nephrology cases NEPHNPPT: Individual renal biopsy cases NEPHJNL: Nephrology/Transplantation Journal Club IFKF-L: International Federation of Kidney Foundations NEPHDEVEL: Humanitarian Projects and ISN Sister Centres program NEPHHIST: History of kidney medicine, ISN Video Legacy project interview transcripts RENALPRO: Nephrology professionals: Nurses, Technicians, Dieticians, Social Workers, Administrators, Physicians, Engineers, etc. RENALRD: Renal dieticians, renal nutrition NEPHADMIN: Nephrology Administrators

9. The e-mail Discussion Groups PROFESSIONAL GROUPS BASED ON LOCATION OR LANGUAGE NEPHRONOL: Spanish-English discussion - nephrology subjects ARABNEPHROL: Arab language - started in 2001, spectacular success! ANNET: African Nephronet NEPHINDIG: Renal disease in indigenous peoples MDDIALYSIS: US dialysis unit directors OTHER: AFFILIATED WEBSITES www.cybernephrologie.org (French) www.dialysis.ru (Russian)

10. 1. Start an email message 2. Title - May be left blank 3. Body of Letter - Type the word “subscribe” followed by the name of the discussion list you wish to join. Example: subscribe nephrol 4. Type address: majordomo@ualberta.ca 5. Send the email message JOINING A LIST (It’s easy and it’s free!)

11. How will you know you did it correctly? CyberNephrology will send you: • WELCOME MESSAGE Save or Print for future reference! • RULES • “The Do’s and Don’ts” of cyberNephrology • E-MAIL FROM YOUR DISCUSSION GROUP Email will start to arrive as messages are posted. Digest form will arrive once a day.

12. RULES AND “NETIQUETTE” Some of the “DO’s”….. • Use appropriate title for subject when sending email • Use appropriate prefix on “Nephrol” mail • Use “Reply” only when addressing entire group • Use Majordomo command for “account” requests: (subcribe, unsubscribe, archives, list information, etc.) • Be patient with less experienced members! • Maintain professionalism! • Respect the different cultures within our global community and remember our common threads.

13. RULES AND “NETIQUETTE” Some of the “DON’Ts”….. • Don’t send commercial messages to the group, or use the member list for distribution of commercial messages • Don’t send attachments unless well-described • Don’t open attachments unless sender is known • Don’t send personal replies to the entire list • Do not use auto-responses (ie: out of office messages) • No harassment or threats! (You will be immediately unsubscribed!)

14. RULES AND “NETIQUETTE” If you need assistance, contact: Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA or Michele.Hales@UAlberta.CA If you have any problems or complaints, contact: Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA

15. Joining the Discussion Lists The Next Step: LURKING cyberLurking: “To become a member of the group without making your presence immediately known.” Please note: Lurking is RECOMMENDED for new members! • Why? Because it allows you time to: • “get a feel” for the group • learn what types of messages are or aren’t appropriate for the list • Explore the resources and archives to learn about recent topics

16. And Finally! PARTICIPATING IN THE DISCUSSION! • REPLYING TO A MESSAGE • WRITING A NEW MESSAGE • Addresses • Writing the message - content, quality • Subject titles: New messages, Change existing thread • Prefixes (Nephrol members) • REQUESTING A SPECIAL RESPONSE • YOUR SIGNATURE

17. REPLYING TO A MESSAGE Use Reply, or type “Re:” in the subject field, followed by the name of the existing thread (string of messages) (Digest members should type “Re:” followed by name of thread so it appears properly on your response.) Do NOT send your reply to the entire list unless it is of general interest to the group! Non-informational messages such as “Thank you” or “Please fax that to me too” should be emailed only to the appropriate individual.) CAUTION: Use of the “Reply” button is the most common cause of accidental mailings sent to the group. If you intend to reply ONLY to the author of a previous Nephrol message, do NOT use the “Reply” feature!

18. ADDRESSING A NEW MESSAGE (to Nephrol - a partially moderated list) Physicians specializing in Kidney, Urology, Renal Pathology and Transplant surgery and medicine may post directly to the list. Address for posting messages directly on Nephrol: nephrol@majordamo.srv.ualberta.ca Non-physician and non-specialist members are asked to submit messages to: Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA

19. WRITING A NEW MESSAGE Remember… This is a global list! Do not use proprietary brand names of drugs or abbreviations which would be unfamiliar to members in other countries. This is also a highly specialized professional list! Do not post questions that can be answered by readily available resources (ie: standard texts, literature searches)

20. “i hope you will avoid using the “ee cummings” poetry style of writing which does not capitalize any letters, and also try to avoid run-on sentences that never seem to end, or sentences that change topic in the middle of the sentence, and of course you should try to avoid messages that contain freqnt and lazy mispelngs because they only serv to frustrt and confse your readers!” MAKE YOUR MESSAGE COMFORTALE TO READ! “AND DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE IT IS AS RUDE AS SHOUTING IN A CONVERSATION!”

21. Make your message comfortable to read! • AVOID LENGTHY PARAGRAPHS • USE PROPER CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION. • PROOFREAD! Spelling errors do occur but too many are distracting and could lead to errors in communication. (Note: Spelling errors caused by a language barrier are generally forgiven!) • AVOID CHATTY CLUTTER! Send “Thank you,” “I agree” and “Please fax that to me too” messages to the individual… Not to all 1500 people on the list!

22. CREATING A TITLE FOR MESSAGES TITLES FOR NEW MESSAGES • Create informative title for “Subject” line • Make it brief, yet descriptive as possible • Will appear as email title - allows reader to choose whether to read or delete the message based on interest in subject, without having to open actual message. CHANGING THE TITLE OF AN EXISTING THREAD • When topic of email conversations change, so should the titles! • Create an appropriate new title, followed by: (was “old title”) on the subject line.

23. Nephrol members only! Prefixes should be used before the title of ALL Nephrol messages. Example: CN: Biopsy of Renal Mass 1. Allows busy members to determine general nature of each message at a glance so they can delete messages of low interest in the shortest time possible. 2. Messages that start with TX are automatically sent to Centerspan-L for added review and response by transplant specialists. USE OF PREFIXES ON SUBJECT LINE (Nephrol)

24. Nephrol prefixes: CN: Clinical Nephrology UC: Underdeveloped Countries HD: Hemodialysis DS: Disasters PD: Peritoneal Dialysis IP: Intellectual Property, Internet Publishing HY: Hypertension TM: Telemedicine TX: Transplantation MT: Meeting Announcements NP: Nephropathology MW: Media Watch PH: Physiology WWW: Worldwide Web resources IM: Immunology CSN: Canadian Society of Nephrology BI: Biochemistry LATF: Latin American Task Force CB: Cell Biology JN: Jobs in Nephrology AN: Anatomy JT: Jobs in Transplantation ET: Ethics GEN: General Interest Messages USE OF PREFIXES ON SUBJECT LINE (Nephrol)

25. REQUSTS FOR SPECIAL RESPONSE NO RETURN RECEIPTS! Do NOT send “return receipt” emails to the list! Creates unnecessary mailbox clutter for 1500 people! DON’T CONTRIBUTE TO CLUTTER! Ask for responses to be sent directly to your personal email address if the expected reply is not going to be of general interest to the group. (Ex: If you write to Nephrol seeking contact information for a particular physician or clinic, remind members to respond to you OFFLIST at your address.)

26. YOUR SIGNATURE Identify yourself! Include name, title or position, workplace, etc. Don’t attach an autobiography to routine emails! Avoid excessively long signature attachments

27. NEED “LIVE HELP” OR “MAJORDOMO”? (Majordomo = “cyberNephrology at your command!”) Use Majordomo to: • Subscribe or Unsubscribe from discussion lists • Search archives (Get index, get files) • Find out what lists you are on • Get list of current Nephrol members • Retrieve Introductory Information • Find generic “help” messages

28. “MAJORDOMO”: cyberNephrology at your command! How to use Majordomo: • Send your request in the BODY of an email message Examples: subscribe nephrol (to subscribe) index nephrol (get list of available files) • No need for a “SUBJECT” title. (Commands in “subject” line will NOT be processed!) • See cyberNephrology’s “Welcome Page” for more details about available commands

29. SEARCHING THE ARCHIVES Type Majordamo command in body of email message: index nephrol Send to majordamo@ualberta.ca When index is received and desired file is located, type another Majordamo command in the body of a new email message as follows: get nephrol <file name>

30. SPECIAL SITUATIONS • COMPUTER VIRUS • Use antivirus software and updates on your computer • Do not open questionable or unexpected email attachments • Report any suspected virus activity to Kim Solez MD • VACATIONS • Subscription Options: Select with Majordomo Command! • - Subscribe to Nephrol-Digest (one email per day!) • - Unsubscribe before you leave, resubscribe upon return • Do NOT use autoreply while on Nephrol! • UNSUBSCRIBING • - Use Majordomo command in body of email • Ex: unsubscribe nephrol

31. cyberNephrology • A worldwide SOURCE of INFORMATION • A worldwide DISCUSSION • A global COMMUNITY All available at your fingertips! “A Digital Resource” Nephrology is the common thread. “for Kidney Professionals” “A Digital Resource for Kidney Professionals”

32. CYBERNEPHROLOGY FOR OTHERS (Colleagues, Staff) • Nephrologists • Pathologists • Nurses • Renal Technicians • Pharmacists • Renal Dieticians • Social Workers • Administrators • Researchers • Students

33. CYBERNEPHROLOGY FOR OTHERS (Colleagues, Staff) • Discussion Lists • Patient Education Materials • Online CME programs • Projects • Support research • “Virtual” Meetings • NetMeetings • Press releases • Clinical Practice Guidelines

34. The e-mail Discussion Groups MORE GROUPS FOR NEPHROLOGY PROFESSIONALS NEPHBSCI: Nephrology Basic Science NEPHCNPT: Discuss individual clinical nephrology cases NEPHNPPT: Individual renal biopsy cases NEPHJNL: Nephrology/Transplantation Journal Club IFKF-L: International Federation of Kidney Foundations NEPHDEVEL: Humanitarian Projects and ISN Sister Centres program NEPHHIST: History of kidney medicine, ISN Video Legacy project interview transcripts RENALPRO: Nephrology professionals: Nurses, Technicians, Dieticians, Social Workers, Administrators, Physicians, Engineers, etc. RENALRD: Renal dieticians, renal nutrition NEPHADMIN: Nephrology Administrators

35. The e-mail Discussion Groups PROFESSIONAL GROUPS BASED ON LOCATION OR LANGUAGE NEPHRONOL: Spanish-English discussion - nephrology subjects ARABNEPHROL: Arab language - started in 2001, spectacular success! ANNET: African Nephronet NEPHINDIG: Renal disease in indigenous peoples MDDIALYSIS: US dialysis unit directors OTHER: AFFILIATED WEBSITES www.cybernephrologie.org (French) www.dialysis.ru (Russian)

36. JOINING A LIST (It’s easy and it’s free!) 1. Start an email message 2. Title - May be left blank 3. Body of Letter - Type the word “subscribe” followed by the name of the discussion list you wish to join. Example: subscribe renalrd 4. Type address: majordomo@ualberta.ca 5. Send the email message

37. CYBERNEPHROLOGY FOR OTHERS (Patients and Families) Public Education Patient Support Patient Discussion Lists Support for Parents of Children with Kidney Disease

38. Patients: e-mail Discussion Groups DISCUSSION LISTS AND INFOMATION FOR PATIENTS AND FAMILY KIDNEYDISEASE: Adult patients with kidney disease. (This group now has 9 physician moderators and co-moderators answering questions!) NEPHKIDS: Parents of children with kidney disease, also teen and young adult kidney patients (Sue Conley MD and Melissa Gregory MD) IGAN: IgA Nephropathy OTHER (CHECK WEBSITE FOR SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS) DIALYSIS: Dialysis PKD: Polycystic Kidney Disease TRNSPLNT: Transplant patient discussion

39. SPECIAL RESOURCES on cyberNephrology Etc.

40. Online texts and atlases Nephrology, Pathology, Transplant Examples: Schrier’s Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney AJKD: Atlas of Renal Pathology

41. Pathology Slides and Resources Educational Slides on Renal Parenchymal Diseases and Hypertension 1. Digital Images from the slide collection of Helmut Rennke, MD 2. Transplant Pathology Internet Services (TPIS)

42. Case Presentations

43. Internet Links to other resources

44. Related Groups and Initiatives“cyberNephrology Plus” • COMGAN • RenalTech • ISN: Video Legacy, Archives, Disaster Response • Banff Allograft Pathology Conference • HDCN (Hypertension, Dialysis & Clinical Nephrology) • CenterSpan (Amer Soc of Tx Surgeons - ASTS) • Educational Slides on Renal Parenchymal Diseases and Hypertension

45. Related Groups and Initiatives • HDCN • Hypertension, Dialysis & Clinical Nephrology • www.hdcn.com • Editor & Director: John Daugirdas, MD • 3000 paid subscriptions • 28,000 people subscribe to weekly email update • Close cooperative relationship between HDCN and cyberNephrology

46. cyberNephrology It’s more than just a website! “A Digital Resource for Kidney Professionals”

47. Where to Get More Information • Visit www.cybernephrology.com • Contact Kim Solez MD or Michele Hales Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA Michele.Hales@UAlberta.CA

48. Your “Service Center” If you have questions, contact: Kim Solez at: Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA or Michele Hales at: Michele.Hales@UAlberta.CA If you have any problems or complaints, contact: Kim Solez MD at: Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA If you’re not sure, contact: Kim Solez MD at: Kim.Solez@UAlberta.CA

49. CyberNephrology 2002A Digital Resource for Kidney Professionals Use it as a resource in your own work! Refer your colleagues and staff! Refer your patients! It’s more than just a website!