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LETTERS: N P Viswanathan Virtual congress of general practice is thriving BMJ 2008; 337: a681 [Full text]

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Virtual congress of family medicine is thriving

N.P viswanathan   (14 July 2008)

continous professional development

N.P. Viswanathan   (15 July 2008)

Advances in information and technology

N.P. Viswanathan   (24 July 2008)

Virtual congress of family medicine is thriving 14 July 2008
N.P viswanathan, Family physician s.v.clinic,gm palya,Bangalore-560075,India Send response to journal: Re: Virtual congress of family medicine is thriving	2 virtualworld congress of family medicine/general practice will commence from september 2009 and will end in december 2009. Registration will start from september2008. Specialists from other specialities can also participate by registering and can send your presentations, e-oral communications, e-posters relevant to family practice/general medicine. Your presentations will be read by doctors practising at the remote corners of this world. Registration details will be announced in the month of september 2008. Thank you N.P.viswanathan Member Group of international board of advisors, 2 virtualworld congress of family medicine and general practice Competing interests: None declared
continous professional development 15 July 2008
N.P. Viswanathan, Family physician svclinic,gm palya,bangalore-560075 Send response to journal: Re: continous professional development	continous professional development is essential for health care improvement and professional satisfaction. Traditionally rural doctors find it more difficult to access updated information and quality training.However information technology has changed this reality,allowing access to quality information and training with outthe need to travel long distances. New technologies also mitigate the isolation of rural doctorsand family doctors in general,who,in discussion forurms,may debate issues and exchange different experiences with their peer.Information technologies are therefore important for the update of familyphysicians,particularly for rural doctors,contributing to the construction of professional identityand to the improvement of our speciality based onthe debate and exchange of ideas and experiences. At the distance of a click,we can contact collegues who are physically at a great distance,whom we probably would never meet by other means.We will be able to attend,without leaving our homes, attend at any timeof day or night and at no extra cost,every conference,course,symposium we wish and we may yet discuss several subjects of common interest in the forum. this is the true previlege of participating in the virtual congress. References; News letters of 1 world congress of family medicine and general practice N.P.viswanathan Member Group of board of advisors 2virtual world congress of Family medicine and general practice. Competing interests: None declared
Advances in information and technology 24 July 2008
N.P. Viswanathan, Familyphysician svclinic,gmpalya,Bangalore-560075,India Send response to journal: Re: Advances in information and technology	When I entered medical practice 35 years back,Iused to be a member of British Library At Bangalore.I used to get old editions of medical books and medical journals.Something was better than nothing. I used to attend medical meetings Conducted by Indian Medical Association.In 1979 we started Indian association of general practitioners.Iwas one of the founder members and past president.We started with 20 members and today we have more than 600 members.It is renamed as Family physicians Association.We also bring out bimonthly journal.We conduct 2 monthly meetings,annual cme. When we started it was an era of slide projectors. Then came the era of computersand internet.Newer information technology has brought a reveloutionarychange in the dissemination of medical knowledge.Today we have tele conferences,Video conferences,Virtual meetings,online e-journals and thousands of web sites which benefitstarting from medical students till the practitioners level and catering to the needs of allsections of medical faternity. A family physician canupdate his medical knowledge by just a click. he can communicate to his patients through e-mail.He can contact his professional colleagues through out the world staying in a remote corner .He need not feel isolated. Such is the wonderful change brought about by advancesin information technology.We must make the best use of it without leaving carbon prints and conduct paperfree meetings and conferences which are eco friendly.Let us all join hands to achieve this. Competing interests: None declared