Doctors and the public invited to access Wikipedia-like resource
SAN FRANCISCO – Ophthalmologists and others who are looking for the latest clinical information on eyes and vision now have a powerful, new online resource: EyeWiki. This month the American Academy of Ophthalmology Academy and key ophthalmic specialty societies and organizations launched EyeWiki. Like the collaborative online encyclopedia Wikipedia, EyeWiki can be viewed using any web browser. Unlike Wikipedia, only ophthalmologists Eye M.D.s or ophthalmologists-in-training can post or edit information on EyeWiki. Now anyone with web access can benefit from the expertise of American and international ophthalmologists–the doctors who research new treatments and care for patients around the globe.
"This fascinating project promotes a new level of collaboration and information sharing among ophthalmologists," said EyeWiki Editor-in-Chief, Aaron Miller, MD. "It pools the ophthalmic community's knowledge to create the best, most up-to-date information. And it offers the public a unique resource for in-depth clinical information on eye conditions that compliments general patient information."
"We'll be working hard to ensure that this 'living textbook' of our ophthalmic community reflects the high standards of our profession while maintaining the openness and simplicity of a wiki," said Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Brad Feldman, MD. "Thousands of ophthalmologists will soon be using this resource as we care for our patients, and I want to be sure the information we need is just an 'EyeWiki search' away."
No special software or skills are required to contribute. After registering, ophthalmologists can begin writing entries and adding images or videos.
EyeWiki section editors and other Academy members have already written and posted more than 60 articles. While the general ophthalmic community self-moderates the information posted on EyeWiki, content generation is supervised by Drs. Miller and Feldman. Editorial boards representing each subspecialty review material from time to time for quality assurance, with the power to delete information or request revisions.
Section editors for the nine subspecialties represented on EyeWiki were selected from nominees submitted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Cornea Society, the American Glaucoma Society, the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society, the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the American Society of Retinal Specialists, the Macula Society, the Retina Society, the American Uveitis Society, Women in Ophthalmology and the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists.
The EyeWiki section editors are:
- Cataract Dick Shugarman, MD
- Cornea Penny Asbell, MD
- Glaucoma Sarwat Salim, MD
- Neuro-Ophthalmology Edmond FitzGibbon, MD
- Oculo-plastic Surgery Marcus Marcet, MD
- Pediatrics K. David Epley, MD
- Refractive Natalie Afshari, MD
- Retina Vinay A. Shah, MD
- Uveitis Russell Read, MD, PhD
Those interested can access EyeWiki at: https://www.aao.org/eyewiki. For more information, contact eyewiki@aao.org.
About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
AAO is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 29,000 members worldwide. Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. For more information, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.