INTERNET AND OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

Background The Internet is an unrestricted, easily accessed source of information that has been greatly touted by the mass media. It represe nts a major advance in information acquisition and dissemination. It i s estimated that between 30-40 million North Americans alone have acce ss to the Internet. This multimedia reservoir of information has devel oped into a significant resource for information gathering, especially for those who depend on comprehensive and contemporary information, i ncluding scientists and physicians. Methods and results. The purpose o f this article is to describe some of the basic and practical services available on the Internet including e-mail, literature searches, inte rest groups, databases and on-line journals, Our focus is to describe these Internet resources with the physician in mind, and with particul ar emphasis on Internet applications for the obstetrician/gynecologist . Conclusion. The role of the Internet in medicine has not been define d, but continues to evolve. In the field of obstetrics and gynecology, the Internet has already become incorporated in various ways and it i s safe to say that we are currently going through a revolution as fund amental to the human civilization as the eighteenth century industrial revolution-the information revolution.