title: [WebSurg and the Virtual University].
abstract: Multimedia medical education has been demonstrated to be effective, and in some situations, superior to traditional methods of instruction, surgeons being able to acquire new skills from a distance. The purpose of this project was to develop an instructional aid that can be used for surgical education in laparoscopic techniques. A concept of "Virtual University" was developed for surgeons in the field of laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery. This concept permits surgeons to update their knowledge from a distance any time they want. Using new technologies surgical techniques can be presented in a new fashion, more attractive for surgeons. With the aid of the internet we are now able to add animations and color illustrations with no limits, either in terms of size and number. Contributions were commissioned to international opinion leaders, under the control and seal of approval of national and international societies. The WebSurg site contains surgical techniques (rich illustrated), films presenting surgical procedures and films of expert's opinion. All partners (authors, reviewers, editors, sponsors, owners) must be in agreement with content, and also accept editorial independence. Scientific integrity and academic environment are the key factors to get high quality standards. Codes of ethics have been issued for internet information and must be followed by all websites.
authors.affiliation: Universitatea Louis Pasteur Strasbourg, WebSurg.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luncă
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maisonneuve
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marescaux
mesh_terms: D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010535:Laparoscopy; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D014495:Universities; D014584:User-Computer Interface