OIE Disease Card Notes: centre/internship... · Web viewAmanda Jezek Martinot. July 15, 2002...
Transcript of OIE Disease Card Notes: centre/internship... · Web viewAmanda Jezek Martinot. July 15, 2002...
OIE Website Assessment
Amanda Jezek Martinot
July 15, 2002
CONTENTSPage
1. Objectives for Website Assessment……………………………………………32. General Recommendations…………………………………………………….4
2.1 OIE Website Search Option2.2 Search of OIE Publications2.3 Example searches
2.3.1 Foot-and-Mouth Disease2.3.2 Avian Influenza
3. Data Listed by Disease………………………………………………………….63.1 System for cataloguing links…………………………………………….63.2 Evaluation of links………………………………………………………10
3.2.1 Code and Manual3.2.2 Reagents3.2.3 Handistatus3.2.4 Disease Information Weekly
4. Disease Cards…………………………………………………………………...124.1 System for evaluating the disease cards…………………………………124.2 General content and areas of improvement……………………………...13
Appendix I: Keys for Excel sheets…………………………………………………...16Appendix II: Diseases that currently have disease cards on the web………………19Excel files
Data by DiseaseDisease Cards
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1. Objectives for Website Assessment
Due to the current restructuring of the OIE website, OIE requested that an “outsider’s”
assessment of the general set up of the web be performed. As a fourth year student in the
veterinary degree program at the University of Florida, I have approached this task from
the viewpoint of a student searching for information for a class presentation or research
paper. This should offer adequate insight into the perspective of others such as
journalists, lawyers, and other public officials searching for information. Individuals such
as these will often be researching a topic, or a disease, that is completely unfamiliar to
them. Although the OIE has traditionally catered exclusively to the scientific community,
The OIE staff would like the website to provide a service to the general public as well as
the scientific community. The general public is becoming more aware that the OIE is an
organization exclusively committed to animal health and zoonoses. As it becomes more
widely recognized that the OIE is the standard-setting organization for international
animal health and trade, the OIE website will often be the first resource encountered by
those searching for more information on the organization itself. In addition, students of
varying disciplines and many other individuals will look to the OIE as a reliable resource
for up-to-date information regarding animal diseases.
The main objectives for this assessment were to determine the following:
how user-friendly is the OIE website for those unfamiliar with it
does the website adequately portray and explain the missions of
the OIE to the general public
do the links work properly and do they make sense
what information is available on the website regarding
particular diseases such as the disease cards
how up to date is the information on the website
is there enough information regarding diseases of general public
concern either on the website or through links to other sites
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In reviewing the website content, three approaches for assessing the user-friendliness of
the website were used: 1) searching for information on a particular disease, 2) searching
for information on the OIE itself, and 3) searching for information about the animal
health status of a particular country.
2. General Recommendations
2.1 Website search option
This is an extremely important tool for first time users of the website. It is also extremely
important that every single document on the OIE web page have key words associated
with it. When searching for main topics such as food safety, there are OIE documents
that are not linked in the search results due to the lack of keys words entered. This is also
true for many of the individual diseases. If a person were to not scroll down and find the
link on the site map for data by disease (for foot-and-mouth disease for instance) they
would not find the links to the resources in the Code and Manual. Prioritizing search
results for the most accurate match or for the most recent documentation would be an
attractive option for narrowing the number of search results down. For instance, on a
search engine such as Yahoo, the best matches (the ones that are closest to the keywords
entered by the user) are listed first within the search results. This is indicated on the
search results by a percentage or by highlighting the keywords found. Reworking the
search option in such a way would be the ideal way for searching the OIE website and
would definitely improve its user-friendliness.
2.2 Search of OIE publications
The OIE has an invaluable resource in scientific and technical reviews as well as thematic
publications. The link to publications on the main page is an excellent link, especially
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the descriptions of the content of the different periodicals. It would advantageous to
advertise the link to search OIE’s publications better from the main page.
2.3 OIE example searches
In order to determine how well the website is working as a whole, a few diseases
examples were used to test the system. The commentary below may help outline areas
that need improvement.
2.3.1 Foot-and-Mouth Disease
general search does not take you directly to data listed by disease
section where the disease card is found; in order to find the
disease card from the main search you have to sift through 10
pages of links—it is not a high priority search
There is a specific Revue Scientifique et Technique (RST) 1996
15 (3) that there is not a good link for
There is also no mention of the upcoming publication 2002 in
RST that is devoted to this topic
There are nine links from the data by disease site; these are
redundant and please note comments in Excel File 1 (data by
disease)
There is a very good infectious disease card [(see comments
Excel file 2 (disease cards)], but should be more links to
resources such as journal articles dealing with the infectivity of
the agent as well as the latest science on testing (telling
vaccinated from unvaccinated animals).
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2.3.2 Avian Influenza
the sight for highly pathogenic influenza is very good, but in the
data listed by disease you can find avian influenza with no links
to the more pertinent info on HPAI
more importantly should OIE start tracking low path outbreaks
with Handistatus II?
If mutation is a real concern, then CVO’s or other public health
officials may be interested for trade purposes in the occurrence
of low path outbreaks in birds and even influenza in pigs
There is a very good article in Update on Zoononses in RST that
should be linked to, preferably in the reference section of the
high path card
3. Data by Disease
3.1 System for cataloguing links
Cataloguing the website content will become more important as the website continues to
grow in order to continually update the content and ensure its accuracy. The lack of such
a system in the past makes it difficult to revise the website content now, especially in
regards to the information on each disease. It is difficult to determine what needs
updating due to the fact that no one knows exactly what is on the web for each disease.
Although cataloguing the content in the data by diseases is an enormous job it will be
essential to develop a method for keeping track of such information. This information
will serve as baseline data for what is on the web. In this way, as new and pertinent
information on each disease arises, or as OIE becomes more involved with particular
emerging diseases, these sites may be updated appropriately and it will easy to identify
information that is out of date.
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The following is a proposal for a method of cataloguing the information on diseases as
listed under the link data by disease in a systematic manner. Please refer to the Excel
sheets (T drive, folder AM, Amanda’s documents) that have been created as a
preliminary tool for cataloguing this information. A similar system may be created for
other pages on the web so that there will always be a permanent record of what has been
on the OIE website in the past. A website is a living and changing document, but these
changes need to recorded and catalogued for historical purposes, for the same reason that
previous editions of a text need to be saved and filed in a library. This is especially true
for an official website of an intergovernmental organization.
A. Disease
a. This column constitutes a comprehensive of list of all the diseases on the
OIE website at the present time
b. If there is an emerging disease that has not yet been addressed officially
by the OIE, a note and link can be made to the webpage and noted in the
Excel file. As information is updated, it will be easy to see what needs to
be changed on the website to ensure the most accurate information is
available.
c. If disease cards have not been made for diseases, it would be appropriate
to link to other reliable sources on the web, if verified, until this is done.
It is essential that the public has an information resource of OIE’s
choosing that is accurate.
B. Agent
a. Identifying the scientific name or agent is important as names change
frequently, especially for certain bacterial diseases. It will be easier to
identify and change this information as appropriate on the web.
b. For diseases such as BSE where the causative agent is still under debate,
this will allow web information to be updated as new scientific
information emerges
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C. Priority
a. This option of assigning a priority number provides a way to sort the
information in the excel file. The Excel file sort option will have limited
use in sorting, but if a few key words are entered properly, this will be a
good way to start organizing information until a better system is
developed. For instance, if information on the web only pertaining to
diseases transmissible in milk is to be updated, the current information
present on the web regarding these diseases may be easily pulled out of a
larger data base if a column with the key word milk was entered for each
appropriate disease.
b. Cross-referencing with keywords should be done regardless so that
keywords will be easier to enter.
D. Card
a. Having an accurate record of which diseases have disease cards on the
web will help identify diseases that need to have cards made as a priority.
b. For instance, I was informed that the Fish Disease Commission has
disease cards written, but none of these are on the web as of yet.
E. Card Info
a. Notes regarding card info could be made as necessary when someone
works on a particular disease card, such as the date it was last reviewed
and updated. If manual or code is written in this section it means info
from these sources needs to be added.
b. If link is written here then info at another site on the web is related and
should be linked to.
c. This will also serve as a quick way to see which cards are in need of
review at a first glance.
F. List
a. OIE is currently revising its listing system and changing to a single list;
for historical purposes it will be useful to know what diseases were listed
as before.
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b. This section in the data base can also contain information regarding
urgency of reporting (in the new system…i.e. it may be noted here
whether a disease should notified within 24 hours or not).
G. Experts
a. Notes as to whether an expert has been identified for a certain disease, and
whether that expert’s contact information is current should be noted here.
b. This may be done by recording “YES, 7/11/02” for experts and the most
recent date the information for that expert was reviewed on the web.
c. It is very important that a person seeking the most accurate information
has a direct source (preferably links to articles written by that person); in
this way OIE can be assured they will not resort to other less accurate
sources if our site is not quite complete, yet.
H. Code
a. For the time being, I have set this column up to signal to those individuals
(or future webmaster) how the links are working for a particular disease.
b. This will be most useful for the person who will make the necessary
adjustments on the web as to what needs to be fixed and how urgent it is.
Please see the key for understanding how data was entered here in the
excel sheet.
c. Indicating whether information is in the Land or Marine Code will also
make the web easier to remodel at a later date.
d. See also general comments on links in Section 3.2 of this report
I. Manual- see comments for Code
J. Reagents
a. Some of the diseases have links to reagents on this site, again, keeping this
information up to date is extremely important
b. Noting in this column as with others the date when last reviewed or
revised will constitute good record keeping
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K. Handistatus
a. General Notes
b. If data system changes this will need to be revised
c. May also serve as future link to map sites and this should be noted
L. Weekly- note presence or absence of link
M. Cases- note presence or absence of link
N. Free- note presence or absence of link
O. Notes
a. This column is the probably one of the most important to review on a
regular basis and note for date last revised, because doing so will ensure
that OIE is up to speed with other international organizations.
b. Each time an interesting reference source that may be useful is found
elsewhere this should be noted (i.e. FAO has a better site for this and list,
or great review for this topic found in a particular journal—maybe we
should reference this in disease reference list or provided links to these
sources, etc.)
c. If OIE has added something important recently in terms of a disease or
topic relating to a disease it should be noted.
3.2 Evaluation of Links on Data by Disease Page
Some general observations were made regarding the links on this site (as catalogued in
Excel files as well). Once again, these are observations from an outsider’s point of view
and do not necessarily indicate that they are bad links, just an alternative way of viewing
the web site design. It has been my experience that too many links becomes confusing
and when searching on a website, you start running into the same pages over and over
again. I also realize that redundancy in this sense also helps assure that a person will
eventually find useful information.
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3.2.1 Code and Manual
Please note that although there are links to the Code for all the diseases,
these links do not take you directly to the information pertaining to a
particular disease in the Code, but rather to an index. This can be quite
confusing and really makes the search less effective and redundant. Another
suggestion for simplification of the site is to make the only available link to
the Code from the disease card in the Reference Section. This also applies to
the links to the Manual. Until disease cards are made for all diseases this will
not be an option.
3.2.2 Reagents
The usefulness of this site seems limited as it is currently set up. It would be best
to rename this link as something else that would better portray the content.
Although this may be very useful to someone looking for this specific
information, this is an extremely confusing link to the average web surfer looking
for information. If this link is to remain, an explanation page will need to be
created explaining sample testing in general and the OIE’s role in creating
standards regarding testing and why this is important in the international trade of
animals. A description of OIE reference laboratories would fit in here nicely as
well.
3.2.3 Handistatus 2
This is a very nice link, but it needs a lot more explanation for the average
web user. The OIE has the sole source for information gathering directly
from member countries, but many other organizations are getting involved
in the business of tracking disease outbreaks. OIE needs an excellent page
explaining what Handistatus is and how it works. There are very nice pages
already made up regarding how OIE receives information. There should be
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a link from the Handistatus main page to this as well. The Handistatus
status link may be improved in the following ways:
Explaining how often the information is updated and the OIE
delegates’ role in reporting disease to the OIE?
Explaining who is in charge of updating this information. A nice
explanation page and link to Dr. Jebara’s department should fit
into here. There should also be a link to an email account and
someone responsible for answering journalist inquiries if they do
not understand the data, etc.
It should emphasized that OIE is the sole source for official
disease information and that other sources assimilate this
information, etc. (A link to EMPRES could be negotiated- or
a least an explanation of how the OIE’s system and data
translates into the information users find with EMPRES).
3.2.4 Disease Information Weekly
This is very raw and intimidating information if you do not know what you are
looking for. If OIE intends to serve as a resource for only CVO’s then this
information does not need to be presented in any more desirable of a way to the
general public. If it is OIE’s desire to make this section more user friendly to the
public, it would nice to have short “stories” written explaining the significance of
these updates as they occur once a month. The raw information could continue to
be presented in the same format, but it might suffice for this information to be
made available in this way only to the delegates.
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4. Disease Cards
4.1 System for evaluating the disease cards
Similar to the set up on the Excel sheet for the data by disease a similar file has been
creating for the disease cards with columns entitled: Disease, Priority, List, Aetiology,
Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Prevention and Control, Reference, Experts, and Notes. How
to evaluate the content of the disease card will be a difficult task. It may just suffice to
note when the information was last reviewed and updated. In my opinion this information
will be difficult to digest for anyone without extensive science background, but that the
cards are already as trimmed as they can be while being complete. How easy the card is
to read and understand may also be another important consideration when reviewing the
cards (for those in non-veterinary fields). The addition of pictures of lesions within the
disease card may be an interesting addition that would be useful for presentations and for
understanding the significance of the disease impact in certain circumstances. If nothing
else it would be a demonstration of why they are often difficult to distinguish from one
another clinically (i.e. vesicular diseases).
4.2 General content and areas of improvement
A thorough assessment of the information contained in the disease card would take much
cross-referencing and research into the latest scientific research which would be very
time-consuming; on a first impression basis, the information appears accurate, but may be
lacking in the latest updates and scientific findings regarding these diseases. For
updating the content of the cards, they should be forwarded to an OIE expert who at a
glance will be able to see what is out of date. This should be fairly easy to do when these
experts meet to update the code and manual. The manual has proven to be the most up-to-
date (as it should be) and any future creation of disease cards can in most instances be
directly transposed from this document.
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The reference section on the disease cards would be the best place to make
improvements. Providing a more complete reference section will lead those
interested in finding more detailed information to those sources that OIE approves
of and finds to be the most accurate. This is a crucial element in assuring that the
public is getting quality information. OIE has a plethora of valuable information in
the form of the many expert publications produced on thematic schemes; anytime
where such a publication has been created it should be cross-referenced in the
disease cards. Please review the following suggestions for the reference section on
the disease cards:
The search engine for OIE publications should be made
accessible from the disease card site to find all sources that
relate to the disease that the disease card focuses on,
preferably in the reference section. This is an invaluable
source of information, especially for veterinary students.
Linking to the publications search engine will evade the need
for writing all the OIE references down on each disease card.
This resource is fundamental for those trying to use the OIE
website and will also probably increase revenue since more
people will order this way!!
The experts listed for each disease should have references
listed for their work and research regarding the topic or
disease, and even links to their articles.
It would be a nice resource to include links or make mention
of other government websites (of delegates’ choosing or
OIE’s choosing) that they feel is a reliable and accurate
source of information on the latest issues pertaining to the
disease. For example: 1) trade issues 2) countries with
eradication programs 3) epidemiological surveys and
outbreak simulation sites 4) well-written commentaries and
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or reviews 5) other disease tracking systems OIE is
collaborating with (i.e. EMPRES)
Another area of improvement for the non-veterinary user would be the Prevention
and Control section. This section may be improved in the following ways:
references to information on the infectivity of diseases and
how they are spread in the commodities listed by the OIE
have a generic statement that for traveler information please
refer to the appropriate governmental websites
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Appendix I: Keys for Excel Sheet Data
Excel Worksheet 1- Data listed by disease
Good= information is satisfactory at first glance
Code= need to transfer info from code to the card if indicated in
note
Manual= need to transfer info from manual to the card if there is
a note indicating
No= means no disease card exists
Yes= there is an existing disease card or there are experts listed
(depending on which heading)
A= the disease is currently listed on A (using the list system)
B= the disease is currently listed on B(using the list system)
n/a= the disease has not been assigned to list A or B using the
list system and will not be (because this system is going to be
changed)
remove= this link appears redundant and probably should be
removed
?= this link does not make sense, may not directly take you to
disease information (i.e. takes you to an index of the code or
manual)
1= this disease should be first priority for the public having
accurate and useful information (especially in regards to having a
disease card made up…Rabies)
2,3,…= numbering priorities in this way will help the user sort
diseases in terms of their priority as far as the website is
concerned (a user friendly method of plowing through the data
entered in these files)
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link= need to link to another disease card or site on the web for
more information, or related information.
marine= link to marine code exists (not necessarily to specific
disease)
land= link to land code exists (not necessarily to specific
disease)
/= no link exists
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Excel Worksheet 2- Disease card assessment
1) Aetiology
2) Epidemiology
3) Diagnosis
4) Prevention and Control- will see specific notes written here
5) References (two parts)
1. name reference in reference section [code,manual,expert, status,
list]
and (indicated by /)
2. ? = the link to reference noted does not make sense (if
nothing noted assume yes it makes sense)
or
3. bad= the link to reference is inaccurate and out of date
more= more useful links for journalists, students, politicians, etc.
to find the most recent and up-to-date commentary and research
in regards to this disease are needed (scientific journals,
newspaper articles, OIE press releases, etc.)
OIEpub= there has been OIE publications in regards to this
disease that should have a reference listed
RST= articles in Revue Scientifique et Technique exist that
should be listed and list year
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Appendix II: Diseases that have disease cards on the web
1. African Swine Fever
2. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
3. Foot and Mouth Disease
4. Rift Valley Fever
5. Rinderpest
6. Bluetongue
7. Classical Swine Fever
8. Vesicular Stomatitis
9. African Horse Sickness
10. Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia
11. Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza
12. Lumpy skin disease
13. Newcastle disease
14. Peste des petits Ruminants
15. Sheep pox and Goat pox
16. Swine vesicular disease
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