Given the prevalence of video-sharing sites, such as YouTube and its niche derivatives, it was only a matter of time until there would be one devoted to echocardiography. This week, Medgadget announced the launch of EchoJournal, “an online ultrasound video sharing website and discussion board”. Despite the site’s description, it solely focuses on echocardiograms (i.e., cardiac ultrasound via transthoracic or transesophageal approaches), as opposed to general body ultrasound videos. EchoJournal is already populated with 50+ echocardiograms featuring a diversity of cardiac pathologies, such as severe left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiac tamponade, and lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum. The site is moderated by Dr. David E. Winchester, a cardiology fellow at the University of Florida.
Similar to its brethren in the social networking genre, EchoJournal permits users to create profiles and avatars, upload videos, maintain a list of “friends”, subscribe to video feeds, rate videos, join groups, and discuss cases. Its target audience includes “current and future physicians as well as health care professionals who use echocardiography as part of their practice”. There is also a feature to embed videos on external websites (as seen below).
The concept of video-sharing is not new, but the medical profession has been slow in adapting such technologies. The field is ripe with endless untapped possibilities. It would only be a matter of time until we see similar video sites sprout for capsule endoscopy, bronchoscopies, laparoscopic surgeries, VATS, etc. As for gastrointestinal endoscopy, there is the The DAVE (Digital Atlas of Video Education) Project from the Massachusetts General Hospital … sans the social networking features.
