Isabel Healthcare

WHAT IS Isabel?

All the doctors contributing to Isabel are doing so in their free time, without any remuneration, such is their conviction in the project.

Patients with certain illnesses, such as Meningitis, currently stand a much greater chance of survival if treated in specialist hospitals. By offering doctors throughout the country approved algorithms at the touch of a button, survival rates should increase wherever the patient is.

Isabel is an online clinical decision support and information system covering the whole spectrum of paediatrics. It has been designed in particular to assist doctors in reaching a quick and accurate diagnosis and selecting appropriate treatment. The majority of the site is only accessible to health professionals who can enter via a simple registration system. Isabel's key features are:

A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL: This instantaneously provides a range of 15 relevant and probable diagnoses when supplied with a patient's clinical features. The aim of the tool is not to replace the doctor's diagnostic expertise, but rather to ensure that all possible conditions relating to the patient's initial symptoms have been considered before reaching a final diagnosis. The aim is to help reduce the risk of patients receiving either incorrect or delayed treatment as a result of possible misdiagnosis.

TREATMENT ALGORITHMS: These comprise recognised methods of treatment for a range of acute conditions, providing doctors with appropriate and immediate advice on how best to treat a specific illness. They include the latest Advanced Paediatric Life Support guidelines. The algorithms, which are presented in easy flow-chart format, have been compiled by acknowledged experts in each specific field of medicine. Links are available to the BNF (British National Formulary): the doctors' standard handbook of drugs.

AN ANNOTATED IMAGE LIBRARY: Clinical pictures, slides, x-rays, scans etc which have been donated and annotated by experts in dermatology, ophthalmology, radiology and other disciplines can be viewed at a click of a button allowing users to compare their patients' visible features with those on the site and consequently assist them in making a diagnosis.

EXPERIENCE SECTION: Provides the user with lessons learned, solutions and problems encountered by other clinicians. Submissions can be entered anonymously if the user so wishes.

DISCUSSION FORUM: Currently under construction, this section will encourage users to post their queries and communicate with other specialists about specific topics.

MRCPCH EXAMINATION TEACHING: This site has been donated to the charity and contains all the information you need to pass the MRCPCH part 1 and 2 including grey cases and MCQ's. In due course this will be enhanced and fully integrated into the Isabel system.

ABOUT Isabel: This is the only section accessible to the general public. It comprises background information on the charity, sponsors information, press articles plus the charity accounts and detailed budgets.

DONATIONS: This enables potential donors to donate online, if relevant using a Gift Aid facility.