THE SPANISH-SOCIETY-OF-CARDIOLOGY ON THE INTERNET - PRESENT RESOURCESAND FUTURE-PROSPECTS

The Internet can help physicians to identify needed clinical informati on quickly providing continued medical education. Internet also improv es medical information of the non-medical population. Researchers have quick access to library catalogs, Medline and other important databas es from the most recognized research centers. Furthermore, it can put physicians in ready contact with other specialists for communication a nd consultation, facilitates administrative procedures of multicenter studies and accelerates editorial processes of biomedical journals. Si nce its creation, the website of the Spanish Society of Cardiology has evolved rapidly to the present model, providing different kinds of se rvices to its members including faster communication, information from national and international societies and congresses, earlier access t o the full content of REVISTA ESPANOLA DE CARDIOLOGIA and to a variety of graphic resources and of continuing education. Nowadays, the websi te of the Spanish Society of Cardiology is consulted by one thousand v isitors a week, even at weekends. The degree of activity increases fro m 3 h P.M. with a peak from 11 h P.M. to 1 h A.M. In the near future, our website will incorporate its own courses of continuing medical edu cation with on-line evaluation and credit granting, will give support to multicenter studies and will initiate the publication and discussio n of clinical cases of interest.