GIDEON-Global Infectious Disease Epidemiology Network
Encyclopedia
Global Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Network (GIDEON) is a web-based program for decision support and informatics
in the fields of Infectious Diseases
and Geographic Medicine. As of 2005, more than 300 generic infectious diseases occur haphazardly in time and space and are challenged by over 250 drugs and vaccines. 1,500 species of pathogenic bacteria
, virus
es, parasites
and fungi have been described. Printed media can no longer follow the dynamics of diseases, outbreaks and epidemics in "real time."
module generates a Bayesian
ranked differential diagnosis based on signs, symptoms, laboratory tests, country of origin and incubation period - and can be used for diagnosis support and simulation of all infectious diseases in all countries. Since the program is web-based, this module can also be adapted to disease and bioterror surveillance.
The second module follows the epidemiology
of individual diseases, including their global background and status in each of 205 countries and regions. All past and current outbreaks of all diseases, in all countries, are described in detail. The user may also access a list of diseases compatible with any combination of agent, vector, vehicle, reservoir and country (for example, one could list all the mosquito-borne flaviviruses of Brazil which have an avian reservoir). Over 30,000 graphs display all the data, and are updated in "real time." These graphs can be used for preparation of PowerPoint displays, pamphlets, lecture notes, etc. Several thousand high-quality images are also available, including clinical lesions, roentgenograms, Photomicrographs and disease life cycles
.
The third module is an interactive encyclopedia which incorporates the pharmacology
, usage, testing standards and global trade names of all antiinfective drugs and vaccines.
The fourth module is designed to identify or characterize all species of bacteria, mycobacteria and yeasts. The database includes 50 to 100 taxa which may not appear in standard texts and laboratory databases for several months.
Additional options allow users to add data (in their own font / language) relevant to their own institution, electronic patient charts, material from the internet, important telephone numbers, drug prices, antimicrobial resistance patterns, etc. This form of custom data is particularly useful when running GIDEON on institutional networks. The data in GIDEON are derived from:
Health informatics
.Health informatics is a discipline at the intersection of information science, computer science, and health care...
in the fields of Infectious Diseases
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
and Geographic Medicine. As of 2005, more than 300 generic infectious diseases occur haphazardly in time and space and are challenged by over 250 drugs and vaccines. 1,500 species of pathogenic bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
, virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es, parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
and fungi have been described. Printed media can no longer follow the dynamics of diseases, outbreaks and epidemics in "real time."
Organization
GIDEON consists of four modules. The first DiagnosisDiagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
module generates a Bayesian
Bayesian probability
Bayesian probability is one of the different interpretations of the concept of probability and belongs to the category of evidential probabilities. The Bayesian interpretation of probability can be seen as an extension of logic that enables reasoning with propositions, whose truth or falsity is...
ranked differential diagnosis based on signs, symptoms, laboratory tests, country of origin and incubation period - and can be used for diagnosis support and simulation of all infectious diseases in all countries. Since the program is web-based, this module can also be adapted to disease and bioterror surveillance.
The second module follows the epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
of individual diseases, including their global background and status in each of 205 countries and regions. All past and current outbreaks of all diseases, in all countries, are described in detail. The user may also access a list of diseases compatible with any combination of agent, vector, vehicle, reservoir and country (for example, one could list all the mosquito-borne flaviviruses of Brazil which have an avian reservoir). Over 30,000 graphs display all the data, and are updated in "real time." These graphs can be used for preparation of PowerPoint displays, pamphlets, lecture notes, etc. Several thousand high-quality images are also available, including clinical lesions, roentgenograms, Photomicrographs and disease life cycles
Biological life cycle
A life cycle is a period involving all different generations of a species succeeding each other through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction...
.
The third module is an interactive encyclopedia which incorporates the pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
, usage, testing standards and global trade names of all antiinfective drugs and vaccines.
The fourth module is designed to identify or characterize all species of bacteria, mycobacteria and yeasts. The database includes 50 to 100 taxa which may not appear in standard texts and laboratory databases for several months.
Additional options allow users to add data (in their own font / language) relevant to their own institution, electronic patient charts, material from the internet, important telephone numbers, drug prices, antimicrobial resistance patterns, etc. This form of custom data is particularly useful when running GIDEON on institutional networks. The data in GIDEON are derived from:
- all peer-reviewed journals in the fields of Infectious Diseases, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine, Antimicrobial Pharmacology and Clinical Microbiology
- a monthly electronic literature search based on all relevant keywords
- all available health ministry reports (both printed and electronic)
- standard texts
- abstracts of major meetings