INTRODUCTION: It is notable that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have insufficient knowledge about their disease and are willing to be more involved in their treatment. Nowadays medical information are easily available and health related topics state the third most frequent reason for using the Internet. Therefore patient’s health related self-awareness and willing to take part in medical decisions has improved. The possibility of choice of specialized health services may have positive effect on patient’s satisfaction. The aim of the study was to characterize the extent of Internet use for health information among a representative sample of the IBD patients and to examine the effects that Internet and other resources of information about specialized health services has on patients' pick of a doctor and hospital department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 135 IBD patients admitted to the Department of General and Colorectal Surgery at Medical University of Lodz were asked to complete a anonymous questionnaire. Only 123 fully completed questionnaires were included for analysis. Study group involved 68 women and 55 men. RESULTS: 85,4% IBD patients used Internet in order to gather medical information about their disease. Age of those patients was significantly lower than these patients who didn’t use Internet. The most reliable source of information about physician was Internet. Opinions and recommendations gathered from Internet have notable influence on patients' preference of hospital department and attending physician. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of patients used Internet as a source of medical information related to IBD. Opinions obtained from the Internet seem to be the most reliable regarding attending physicians treating IBD patients.

The author presents the problems associated with geographical name conventions and labels on coloured tactile maps in atlas-type publications for the blind and visually impaired, based on the author’s many years of experience. The detailed description of the ‘keys’ system and Braille ‘abbreviations’ which Polish cartography uses in this type of works shows the benefits of using the system in the editing of map series. A framework of logical and intuitive ‘abbreviations’ presents many possibilities and makes maps easier to read. The system for connecting names of a particular ‘family’ of terms by using a two-letter abbreviation preceded by a unique ‘key’ should be a fundamental principle for creating sets of Braille ‘abbreviations’ for use in a given work. The author also highlights the need to use exonyms, since Braille’s basic alphabet has none of the diacritic characters which typify various languages, which hinders the correct transcription of certain names. The proposed system for constructing ‘abbreviations’ and ‘keys’ may also be used effectively in individual town plans and maps to improve the communication of information. The comprehensive structure of this system also makes it easier to search through indexes of ‘abbreviations’ and their explanations. All the described elements have an impact in raising the practical value of tactile maps.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases in the pediatric population. Entry observations demonstrate anemia, malabsorption, deficiencies in vitamin D and calcium. These aspects, together with the systemic action of pro-inflammatory cytokines and steroid therapy are widely recognized as factors influencing bone metabolism. Presently, however, there are very few studies that can be found in the scientific literature on metabolic disorders in patients with IBD, especially in the pediatric population as the coexistence has not been sufficiently examined and understood. This review aims to summarize the currently available literature, as well as assess which areas have information gaps and need further research.