European cerebrospinal fluid consensus group--a TeamRoom (Lotus Notes)-based communication network.

A group of clinical neurochemists from all over Europe used TeamRoom to share information and to trace their discussions in a computer network. TeamRoom is a Lotus Notes based groupware tool enabling collaboration amongst geographically dispersed teams. As a result of this work a picture is emerging in the virtual TeamRoom space that represents a new kind of consensus in the use of cerebrospinal fluid analysis for diagnosis of neurological diseases. This kind of consensus differs from the conventional written report in giving a more complex and potentially richer representation of the field, in which both common views and minority perspectives are revealed. If direct access to this work is made available to other clinical neurochemists for consultation via a website, they may see their own practice in a wider context. This approach to improving different evolving traditions is more suitable for a global multicultural environment than a singular view of best practice produced by a more traditional process of group discussion. We refer to the benefits of a mixture of face to face meetings, collaboration in TeamRoom and teleconferencing for work in a non-hierarchical, multicultural and multilingual group. We suggest that the TeamRoom concept is a valuable model for enhancing self-organized harmonization across the developing European Union.