EDITORIAL
Living ReviewsVA New Frontier for the Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology Robert Ritch, MD
T
his issue marks the continuation of a new concept in journal articles with the publication of the second Living Document in Ophthalmology, Fundamentals and Advances in Tonometry, by Brenda Nuyen and Kaweh Mansouri, MD, MPH.1 The groundwork was laid with the first such article published in this journal as a review of Sturge-Weber syndrome,2 with the concept in mind of having it eventually become a Living Document, and the update of this article was published in the last issue of this journal.3 A Living Document is, as the name implies, a work that is constantly in evolution. Once created, changes and additions can be made on line, so that the document is continuously being improved and perfected. The use of the term ‘‘living document’’ is not new, nor is the use of such publications. However, they have not been thought of as such, nor have they been used to the fullest extent possible. Instruction manuals, guidelines, strategic plans, curriculum outlines for medical students and residents, and manuals of terminology are all examples of documents which are periodically updated without being completely rewritten and, in this sense, delineate the basic category of living documents. Our desire, however, is more than just periodic updates of an article. The living documents to be published in this journal are meant to develop into the definitive reviews of a particular topic. We began with Sturge-Weber syndrome because it is a sufficiently delimited topic yet at the same time an area of currently increasing investigation and one in which knowledge among not only general ophthalmologists but also even primary physicians and pediatricians remains limited. It is a disorder which affects the eye, skin, and central nervous system and has serous manifestations. However, an expanded compendium of knowledge easily available and accessible remained to be accomplished. In today’s world, between published literature, online journals, and medical websites geared to the public and medical professionals, a vast duplication of effort has developed. Beyond the publication of new information in the peer-reviewed literature, reviews are redundant and also differently focused depending on whether they are in the ophthalmology, dermatology, or neurology literature, in the case of Sturge-Weber syndrome. Reviews of subjects have become so numerous that reviews of reviews in active areas of research interest and rapidly expanding areas of knowledge are being written. Our idea is not just to update a review periodically, but to have it become a continually expanding and comprehensive definitive review of a topic. Like all other guidelines, these reviews which will be revised and updated from time to time as new information becomes available. To this end, being online not only eliminates space constrictions regarding textual information but also allows the uploading of extensive visual material, including magnetic resonance imaging and videos. Our idea is not just to update, but to allow new sections to be added. The review of tonometry by Dr. Mansouri can not only be expanded to discuss the merits, accuracy, repeatability, and comparisons of different tonometers, but also is a foundation for the addition of the results of active ongoing research into continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure, long the Holy Grail of glaucomatology and a development which promises to bring great amounts of new information to our understanding of the mechanisms and risk factors for the development and progression of glaucomatous damage. And now, having saved this for the finale, how can this be accomplished? It will not be accomplished by an author updating an article every 2 years or even every year. What we envision is a sort of Wikipedia, whereby the readers can comment, make suggestions, add information, and photographs are certainly welcome. In the case of Sturge-Weber syndrome, we would like to enroll the assistance of dermatologists and neurologists to add information, but these specialists do not necessarily read ophthalmology journals, so it would be of value for our readership to bring it to their attention.
Steve and Shelley Einhorn Distinguished Chair, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Ophthalmology, New York, NY. Received for publication January 19, 2015; accepted January 26, 2015. The author has no funding or conflicts of interest to declare. Reprints: Robert Ritch, MD, Steve and Shelley Einhorn Distinguished Chair, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Ophthalmology, New York, NY 10003. E-mail: [email protected]. Copyright * 2015 by Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology ISSN: 2162-0989 DOI: 10.1097/APO.0000000000000114
64
www.apjo.org
Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology
&
Volume 4, Number 2, March/April 2015
Copyright © 2015 Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology
&
Volume 4, Number 2, March/April 2015
We are establishing a blog for each of these living documents, so that readers can participate with comments, suggest additional information, present ideas, and initiate discussions. Hopefully, these will even lead to collaborations, whether on a local or global scale, to amass large numbers of patients for investigations and clinical trials. The authors and editors will regularly review the material on the blogs and update the reviews. It is not easy, however, to remember to regularly go to a blog because we are all busy with a multitude of tasks. Therefore, in each issue of the journal, a reminder about the blogs and the URLs for them will be posted, and updates to articles will also be announced. We hope that many readers will participate. The living reviews are posted at http://journals.lww.com/ apjoo/pages/collectiondetails.aspx?TopicalCollectionId=1. For those readers who have patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome, the http://www.sturge-weber.org is a valuable resource for physicians and patients alike. A living document, it should continue to evolve and grow with the evolution of knowledge, new research, new discoveries,
Editorial
and also the addition of previously published material which was not included in the original document. Historical material, little of which is published today, assumedly because of the fast pace of our existence, is also welcome. This approach will allow even the smallest department and individual ophthalmologists in areas without teaching centers to gain access to invaluable information. We hope that our readers will take it upon themselves to join this pioneering project. REFERENCES 1. Nuyen B, Mansouri K. Fundamentals and advances in tonometry. A living review. Asia-Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2015;4:66Y75. 2. Dorairaj S, Ritch R. Encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis (Sturge-Weber syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay Weber syndrome): a review. Asia-Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2012;1:226Y234. 3. Maslin J, Dorairaj SK, Ritch R. Sturge-Weber syndrome (Encephalotrigeminal Angiomatosis): recent advances and future challenges. Asia-Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2014;3:359Y365.
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. V Henry Ford
* 2015 Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology
www.apjo.org
Copyright © 2015 Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
65
Living ReviewsVA New Frontier for the Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology Robert Ritch, MD
T
his issue marks the continuation of a new concept in journal articles with the publication of the second Living Document in Ophthalmology, Fundamentals and Advances in Tonometry, by Brenda Nuyen and Kaweh Mansouri, MD, MPH.1 The groundwork was laid with the first such article published in this journal as a review of Sturge-Weber syndrome,2 with the concept in mind of having it eventually become a Living Document, and the update of this article was published in the last issue of this journal.3 A Living Document is, as the name implies, a work that is constantly in evolution. Once created, changes and additions can be made on line, so that the document is continuously being improved and perfected. The use of the term ‘‘living document’’ is not new, nor is the use of such publications. However, they have not been thought of as such, nor have they been used to the fullest extent possible. Instruction manuals, guidelines, strategic plans, curriculum outlines for medical students and residents, and manuals of terminology are all examples of documents which are periodically updated without being completely rewritten and, in this sense, delineate the basic category of living documents. Our desire, however, is more than just periodic updates of an article. The living documents to be published in this journal are meant to develop into the definitive reviews of a particular topic. We began with Sturge-Weber syndrome because it is a sufficiently delimited topic yet at the same time an area of currently increasing investigation and one in which knowledge among not only general ophthalmologists but also even primary physicians and pediatricians remains limited. It is a disorder which affects the eye, skin, and central nervous system and has serous manifestations. However, an expanded compendium of knowledge easily available and accessible remained to be accomplished. In today’s world, between published literature, online journals, and medical websites geared to the public and medical professionals, a vast duplication of effort has developed. Beyond the publication of new information in the peer-reviewed literature, reviews are redundant and also differently focused depending on whether they are in the ophthalmology, dermatology, or neurology literature, in the case of Sturge-Weber syndrome. Reviews of subjects have become so numerous that reviews of reviews in active areas of research interest and rapidly expanding areas of knowledge are being written. Our idea is not just to update a review periodically, but to have it become a continually expanding and comprehensive definitive review of a topic. Like all other guidelines, these reviews which will be revised and updated from time to time as new information becomes available. To this end, being online not only eliminates space constrictions regarding textual information but also allows the uploading of extensive visual material, including magnetic resonance imaging and videos. Our idea is not just to update, but to allow new sections to be added. The review of tonometry by Dr. Mansouri can not only be expanded to discuss the merits, accuracy, repeatability, and comparisons of different tonometers, but also is a foundation for the addition of the results of active ongoing research into continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure, long the Holy Grail of glaucomatology and a development which promises to bring great amounts of new information to our understanding of the mechanisms and risk factors for the development and progression of glaucomatous damage. And now, having saved this for the finale, how can this be accomplished? It will not be accomplished by an author updating an article every 2 years or even every year. What we envision is a sort of Wikipedia, whereby the readers can comment, make suggestions, add information, and photographs are certainly welcome. In the case of Sturge-Weber syndrome, we would like to enroll the assistance of dermatologists and neurologists to add information, but these specialists do not necessarily read ophthalmology journals, so it would be of value for our readership to bring it to their attention.
Steve and Shelley Einhorn Distinguished Chair, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Ophthalmology, New York, NY. Received for publication January 19, 2015; accepted January 26, 2015. The author has no funding or conflicts of interest to declare. Reprints: Robert Ritch, MD, Steve and Shelley Einhorn Distinguished Chair, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Ophthalmology, New York, NY 10003. E-mail: [email protected]. Copyright * 2015 by Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology ISSN: 2162-0989 DOI: 10.1097/APO.0000000000000114
64
www.apjo.org
Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology
&
Volume 4, Number 2, March/April 2015
Copyright © 2015 Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology
&
Volume 4, Number 2, March/April 2015
We are establishing a blog for each of these living documents, so that readers can participate with comments, suggest additional information, present ideas, and initiate discussions. Hopefully, these will even lead to collaborations, whether on a local or global scale, to amass large numbers of patients for investigations and clinical trials. The authors and editors will regularly review the material on the blogs and update the reviews. It is not easy, however, to remember to regularly go to a blog because we are all busy with a multitude of tasks. Therefore, in each issue of the journal, a reminder about the blogs and the URLs for them will be posted, and updates to articles will also be announced. We hope that many readers will participate. The living reviews are posted at http://journals.lww.com/ apjoo/pages/collectiondetails.aspx?TopicalCollectionId=1. For those readers who have patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome, the http://www.sturge-weber.org is a valuable resource for physicians and patients alike. A living document, it should continue to evolve and grow with the evolution of knowledge, new research, new discoveries,
Editorial
and also the addition of previously published material which was not included in the original document. Historical material, little of which is published today, assumedly because of the fast pace of our existence, is also welcome. This approach will allow even the smallest department and individual ophthalmologists in areas without teaching centers to gain access to invaluable information. We hope that our readers will take it upon themselves to join this pioneering project. REFERENCES 1. Nuyen B, Mansouri K. Fundamentals and advances in tonometry. A living review. Asia-Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2015;4:66Y75. 2. Dorairaj S, Ritch R. Encephalotrigeminal angiomatosis (Sturge-Weber syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay Weber syndrome): a review. Asia-Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2012;1:226Y234. 3. Maslin J, Dorairaj SK, Ritch R. Sturge-Weber syndrome (Encephalotrigeminal Angiomatosis): recent advances and future challenges. Asia-Pacific J Ophthalmol. 2014;3:359Y365.
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. V Henry Ford
* 2015 Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology
www.apjo.org
Copyright © 2015 Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
65
