Background
Medical information is increasingly available on computer networks.
Objectives
To familiarize the pediatrician with some of the terms associated with these on-line resources, and to describe what is available via the Internet and dial-up computer bulletin boards.
Data Sources
Information for this article was taken from publicly available on-line services and Internet servers.
Data Extraction
Only resources relevant to pediatric practice were included.
Data Synthesis
Medical information on the Internet is in a state of evolution. Useful resources for pediatricians are sparse but expanding rapidly.
Conclusions
Pediatricians may use on-line computer networks to communicate. Familiarity with computer networks will become more important to pediatricians as electronic medical records, on-line medical literature, and telemedicine (the practice of medicine over long distances) become more common. Medical libraries and commercial on-line services are good places to begin to investigate the availability of medical information over computer networks.
(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:1160-1168)
