The DOG in the Internet. Resources and interest in it

Objective: The German Ophthalmologic Society is rising to the challenges of the information age by offering comprehensive information resources online . Methods: The society's board decided on the development of an Internet webs ite in October 1996. Since February 1997, the website has been available un der the Internet address www.dog.org. The amount of information offered has been growing fast during the following 12 months. Results: On its website, the DOG offers information about itself, membershi p, further education, and a catalog of important addresses, patient informa tion, official recommendations, and the program and abstracts of the annual sessions. The ICD10-aug was integrated into the website as a database appl ication. A discussion group is reserved for ophthalmologists who can use th is platform to share ideas and discuss clinical topics. Conclusions: The website of the DOG consists of over 4,900 files that repre sent the activities of the society. The website's access log indicates stea dy interest in the information offered. Over 53,000 users visited the DOG w ebsite. The discussion group is used by 71 members from 10 countries (all n umbers as of 9/98).