The basis for using the Internet to support the information needs of primary care

Synthesizing the state of the art from the published literature, this revie w assesses the basis for employing the Internet to support the information needs of primary care. The authors survey what has been published about the information needs of clinical practice, including primary care, and discus s currently available information resources potentially relevant to primary care. Potential methods of Linking information needs with appropriate info rmation resources are described in the context of previous classifications of clinical information needs. Also described is the role that existing ter minology mapping systems, such as the National Library of Medicine's Unifie d Medical Language System, may play in representing and linking information needs to answers.