Editor’s Note: All sites are located on the main menu of each listing unless otherwise specified.
American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC)
11030 Ables Lane
Dallas, TX 75229
(972) 243-2272
www.aarc.org
AARC’s Web site contains information on continuing education, conference information, job listings, and journal archives. Portions of the Web site are restricted to nonmembers. The topics of interest include:
“CRCE Online”–Earn continuing education credit hours online. A list of courses on “Course Catalog” as well as registration materials and credit hours on “Course Registration” are posted. Access “About CRCE Online” for information on cost and registration.
“AARC Times and Times Plus”–Features articles that are now available online through Times Plus, an online companion to AARC Times magazine. Article titles can be accessed on the main menu. The pages of AARC Times will provide a wider selection of stories, and can also be accessed on the main menu.
“Membership Information”–Explains the benefits and services of membership, as well the history of AARC. Visitors can join AARC online.
Allergy and Asthma Network, Mothers of Asthmatics Inc (AAN-MA)
2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 150
Fairfax, VA 22031
(800) 878-4403
www.aanma.org
An advocate forpatient education,AAN-MA focuses on preventing and monitoring asthma attacks, and helping families cope with the disease. Access is unrestricted, and topics include:
“Research”–Information on clinical trials currently under way on adults and children.
“Physician Roll Call”–Helps visitors find asthma specialists in their area. Caregivers can participate in “Physician Roll Call” by becoming professional members of AAN-MA for $100.
“Membership”–AAN-MA recently changed its policy to not charging annual dues to patient members. Instead, contributions will be collected on a donation basis. This policy is not for professional members.
American Thoracic Society (ATS)
1740 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
(212) 315-8700
www.thoracic.org
This professional-based society is the medical section of the American Lung Association. The site is accessible to the general public; however, there is a special “members only” section that allows members to converse in chat rooms. Areas of interest include:
“Quality of Life Resource” (www.atsqol. org)–Includes information about QOL and functional status instruments that have been used to assess patients with pulmonary disease or critical illness. Visitors can also check out the QOL Database by accessing “Education” on the main menu.
“Asthma Guidelines”–Accessed in “Education” or “New Features” on the main menu, these new interactive guidelines for asthma management and education enable physicians to obtain instant information and protocols for specific patients.
“Publications” (www.atsjournals)–Access the society’s two official journals, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. Only members and subscribers can get full text online; however, all visitors can obtain abstracts.
American Sleep Apnea Association
1424 K Street NW, Suite 302
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 293-3650
www.sleepapnea.org
The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) is dedicated to reducing injury, disability, and death from sleep apnea and to enhancing the well-being of those affected by this common disorder. ASAA’s Web site is unrestricted to the general public. Sites of interest include:
“Publications List”–This site is a listing of ASAA’s brochures and newsletters. Visitors can order back issues and reprints of WAKE-UP CALL, The Wellness Letter for Snoring and Apnea. Information on how to order all publications is provided on this site.
“Sleep and the Internet”–A great resource for those with limited Internet experience. It describes the difference between Web pages, chat rooms, and news groups, and explains how to use a search engine, find medical articles on PubMed (part of MEDLINE), and access apnea-associated chat rooms.
“Join ASAA”–Visitors can obtain membership information from “Join ASAA,” or by calling the number above. Membership information varies for patients and professionals.
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation
6931 Arlington Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 951-4422 or (800) FIGHT-CF
www.cff.org; [email protected]
The mission of the CF Foundation is to assure the development of the means to control and cure cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Web site is unrestricted. Visitors can also email the foundation with questions and have them answered by the CF Foundation staff. Points of interest include:
“Publications”–Access online publications including Commitment, the national newsletter; Facts About Cystic Fibrosis; and Progress in CF Research; and several videos available free of charge. Also available is a section on Consumer Information that includes “Home Line,” a newsletter on important CF-related topics for patients and families.
“CF Services”–Provides information on services, including pharmacies, medication price lists, and insurance plans that are contracted with CF Services.
“Get Involved”–Information on special events, such as Great Strides, a 10K walk that takes place in cities all over the country, usually during the third week of May.
“Locations”–State-by-state listings of all local CF chapter offices, research centers, care centers, CF-related transplant programs, and therapeutic development centers around the country.
The National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC)
5454 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1270
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
(301) 718-2975
www.namdrc.org
NAMDRC’s Web site provides information on its publications and provides a forum for discussing the organization’s position on various respiratory care-related topics. Areas of interest include:
“Publications”–Excerpts are available from The Washington Watch Live, which addresses legislative issues; The Presidential Update, a forum for communication between the association’s president and its members; and Understanding O2 Therapy, an educational brochure for physicians and their patients who require oxygen at home.
“Bulletin Board”–Includes a “Resources Available” segment that lists physicians or organizations willing to serve as a resource to NAMDRC members on designated subjects. The other segment, “Resources Needed,” provides NAMDRC physicians with an opportunity to seek additional information or guidance on a particular subject.
“Annual Meeting”–The next meeting takes place March 30 to April 1, 2000 at the Silverado Hotel in Napa Valley, Calif (information will be available on the Web in fall 1999).
“About NAMDRC”–Provides information on how to contact the executive committee and board of directors, as well as retrieve membership information by accessing “Membership Form.”
American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP)
3300 Dundee Road
Northbrook, IL 60062-2348
(847) 498-1400
www.chestnet.org
The American College of Chest Physicians is a leading resource for the improvement in cardiopulmonary health and critical care worldwide. Its mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of the disease of the chest through leadership, education, research, and communication. Sites of interest include:
“Education”–Provides educational resources including meetings, video, audio tapes, CD-ROMS, hands-on workshops, and an on-line self study program.
“Clinical Information”–Informs the public by evaluating, creating, and distributing consensus statements, practice guidelines, and patient education material through its Health and Science Policy Committee. These publications emphasize the ACCP’s clinical focus on chest and respiratory medicine.
“Membership”–Join the nonprofit society of more than 14,500 physicians, PhDs, and allied health professionals, which offers an extraordinary opportunity to learn and collaborate with chest specialists worldwide.