Preemie Science
Mind the Gap Science - Neonatal Bloggers and other reliable sources
As a solver, innovator or someone just curious about bringing new medical technology and solutions to market for premature babies – the need starts with a good understanding of the state of the science. We make no claims to be medical experts, but simply want to highlight the many clinicians and researchers who dedicate hours each week to help their colleagues and the community stay informed on clinical advances in neonatology. These experts are using blogs and other social media to create a new, dynamic platform for debate on the future of neonatal care.
A recent study gives insight into Social media use by physicians: a qualitative study of the new frontier of medicine . Megan Moreno author of the study notes these “rugged individualists” are setting their own rules for social media health communications and so far are providing a “soapbox” often with their strong opinions. (Something we know they hesitate to do in peer-reviewed journals.) Social media, new portals and physician-led communities are nurturing peer to peer sharing of information, albeit cautiously and hesitantly. I recall in my own startup journey meeting a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) and getting his gut feeling on where the research was heading. It was a significant pivot for my project and also something that would never have been found in the final published study. If you are not a clinician or attending medical congresses, or with limited access to KOLs, these non-traditional resources will be a good first step in gaining insights and context. If you are a curious caretaker, who wants to learn a bit more, read, get empowered and follow-up with your healthcare provider.
So here goes, our cheat sheet of the best resources out there (from blogs to traditional journals) for neonatal innovators. If you have any new resources to suggest, drop us a line. We may have missed some obvious stuff. The list is just starting.
Baby Living Lab needs you to help us crowdsource the information.
Reviews
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Cochrane Neonatal Review - The Cochrane Reviews are the gold standard providing systematic reviews and clinical care recommendations based on evidence in neonatology.
In general, neonatal practice is insufficiently evidence-based. You will be hard pressed to find many quality studies due to small number of patients enrolled; insufficient data and methodology and heterogeneity of the studies. No evidence means no innovation in healthcare solutions. 58% of neonatal Cochrane reviews published between 2006 and 2010 were inconclusive, something to keep in mind. Systematic Cochrane Reviews in Neonatology: A Critical Appraisal
“More discussion in coming months on this topic - New trends emerging in developing clinical evidence in neonatology. Stay tuned. ”
One Stop Resources - Portals
Neoknowledge – “A portal to the best knowledge in neonatology” Neoknolwedge can rightly claim this title. It is the most comprehensive site we have found so far with links, summaries, videos, calculators, clinical guidelines and more. Prepared by Dr. Gautham Suresh, Section Head and Service Chief Neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, US.
Neonatology on the Web – Older posts, but an exhaustive page on the history of neonatology.
Blogs & Forums
Looks like the Canadians rock in this space with the leading neonatal blogs.
Neonatal Research – Dr. Keith J. Barrington is a neonatologist and clinical researcher at Sainte Justine University Health Center in Montréal. If you want to find a critical assessment of new clinical studies, look no further.
All Things Neonatal - Dr. Michael Narvey, Section Head of Neonatology at the University of Manitoba, provides weekly posts on various topics and invites debate on his Facebook page.
99NICU – One of the few active forums, membership required. “the web community for staff in neonatal medicine!“ More European in terms of participants.
Online Neonatal CME
Continuing Medical Education topics are a gateway to innovation needs and pain points.
NICUniversity.org Great online CME courses covering numerous neonatal topics.
Timely Newsletter
Industry Supported Portals
Having worked in continuing medical education for several years, I can say that the days of not trusting an industry supported education portal are in the past. Many are credible sites offering real value and accredited CME activities to engage clinicians. But judge for yourself the quality of the information presented.
Baby First
Neonatal Care Academy
