OpenAnesthesia shows phenomenal success, exponential growth

Since its launch in 2009, the open-access website OpenAnesthesia.org has developed into a popular and powerful tool for spreading up-to-date knowledge in anesthesiology, according to a special editorial in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

"Over the past three years, OpenAnesthesia has grown from its humble beginnings as an experimental project to become a ubiquitous tool for education with a large, international community of members," writes Dr Edward C. Nemergut of University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and Editor-in-Chief of OpenAnesthesia.org. OpenAnesthesia is sponsored by the IARS.

OpenAnesthesia Shows 'Phenomenal Success…Exponential Growth'
OpenAnesthesia's "phenomenal success" has far exceeded expectations, according to Dr Nemergut. After launching in July, 2009, OpenAnesthesia took eight months to gain its first 200,000 page views. Since then, the site has grown exponentially, reaching 2.5 million page views in April, 2012. Growth continues strong, with more than 150,000 page views and 26,000 unique visitors per month.

Visitors come from all over the world, making OpenAnesthesia "truly a worldwide community," Dr Nemergut notes. "OpenAnesthesia provides >4 gigbytes of anesthesia knowledge to the world every day."

OpenAnesthesia is open access, meaning that qualified users can submit and edit content. It is an "online multimodal toolkit" designed to help students, educators, and practicing anesthesiologists at the forefront of essential and emerging knowledge. Key features include:
•'Article of the Month,' with interviews and discussion with the authors of an article selected from the pages of Anesthesia & Analgesia.
•'Ask the Experts' podcast, in which a recognized expert from a particular field answers questions submitted by anesthesiology residents, practitioners, and students from around the world.
•The OpenAnesthesia Wiki, an "encyclopedic anesthesia textbook," which all qualified users can contribute to, edit, and update.
•'Review Questions for the Week,' which challenges users with two multiple-choice questions each week - a useful tool for exam preparation or review
•'Intraoperative TEE Case of the Month,' in which an operative case that teaches or emphasizes important aspects of intraoperative TEE and cardiac anesthesia is reviewed in an video podcast

Last year, an Editorial Board comprising recognized leaders in anesthesia practice and education was established to set the creative direction and ensure that the content provided on OpenAnesthesia meets the highest standards of scholarship. New features continue to be rolled out, including a video podcast demonstrating intraoperative imaging (transeophageal echocardiography, or 'TEE') and a 'Review Question of the Week' for trainees preparing for their certifying examination. An iPhone/iPad app is in the works for later this year.

Other planned enhancements include the development of an "Internet-based patient simulator" allowing users to read and respond to clinical scenarios seen in real-life anesthesia practice. Users will be invited to contribute their own questions and clinical situations. Dr Nemergut adds, "The process compels each learner to take charge of their own education, and by doing so, improve the education of others."

Dr Nemergut, the Editorial Board, and the IARS believe that OpenAnesthesia combines the power open acess with expert editorial review to ensure a vibrant, authoritative knowledge resource. Dr Nemergut encourages readers to contribute their thoughts and ideas for the future of OpenAnesthesia—"forever dynamic and changing, just like medicine itself."