DEVELOPMENT OF A Web curriculum PortaL FOR instructiNG MEDICAL STUDENTS in acid-base disorders 

D. John Doyle, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, U.S.A.

Purpose
Although numerous resources are available to assist in medical education, available online materials on acid-base disorders remain limited.  To help with the mastery of this subject, which students often find to be difficult, a case-based instructional Web portal was developed.

Methods
The portal, which maintains an online presence at www.acidbasedisorders.com,  was developed primarily with the goal of meeting the instructional needs of the year 1 and year 2 medical students at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, although  the material would also be helpful to residents in various disciplines. The portal consists of a number of downloadable didactic documents in PDF format (“A Synopsis of Acid-Base Analysis”, “Clinical Cases in Acid-Base Interpretation”, “Frequently Asked Questions in Acid-Base Physiology”), as well as a series of self-assessment questions, instructional material in PowerPoint format, and a number of useful Web links (such as a link to an acid-base diagnostic program). The use of a case-based clinical approach instead of a predominantly theoretical approach is emphasized throughout.

Results
The program has run for three years in conjunction with 100 minute clinical case-based seminars given to year 1 and year 2 medical students. Formal and informal feedback has been very positive.

Conclusion
The use of educational curriculum Web portals can be a useful tool in medical education.