Psychiatrists meet on the Web: the chance for a virtual congress. Results and experiences from the first international Internet congress on psychiatry 1997

From December 1-31, 1997, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in co-operation with the Department of information Technology, University of Tubingen, Germany, organised the first virtual congress on psychiatry in th e Internet, The congress was aimed at facilitating exchange of results of p sychiatric studies and ideas and at stimulating discussion among interested colleagues. Almost 100 participants from 17 countries on four continents t ook part in this event. Sixteen contributions were presented and discussed. The problems and opportunities of this medium in the organisation and runn ing of congresses are presented and discussed. The experience gained in thi s congress suggests that the Internet will find increasing use as a medium for medical congresses within the next few years. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.