Directory of Internet Sources for Health Professionals.

In response to the recent proliferation of health-related information on the Internet, an increasing number of books have been published to offer assistance in locating relevant Internet resources in the health sciences. This book provides a welcome addition to this expanding group of publications. In addition to being nicely organized and easy to use, the Directory of Internet Sources for Health Professionals contains entries for sources on the Web arranged by major medical categories. Curiously, some medical specialties, such as anesthesiology and endocrinology, are grouped under the medical category “Medical Specialties,” while others comprise their own medical category, such as dermatology and gastroenterology. Griffin explains, “Placement of radiography, genetics, and several other categories under the Medical Specialties category reflects primarily an arrangement based on editorial focus” (xxxii–xxxiv).

The entries constitute the major portion of the directory, but several practical appendices prove of interest: “Sponsor Representation According to Type,” “Quickie Search Spreadsheet,” glossary, and keyword index. The “Sponsor Representation According to Type” lists in alphabetic order the sponsors of the Web sites under broad types, such as United States Federal Government or related organizations, professional trade organizations, and commercial sponsors. The “Quickie Search Spreadsheet” provides brief information for quick reference by listing Web sources according to primary topic. It then furnishes the corresponding URLs for the sites and page numbers where those sources are described in the main text of the directory.

Each annotated entry is formatted to make it easy to read and provides the following information about a selected Web site: primary topic, URL, sponsor, brief description, data type, access requirements, supplemental resources, user tips, and keywords. The data type is usually text, but can be images or databases. Supplemental resources are related sites on the Web; frequently, they are other sites linked from the sponsor's home page. The “User Tips” feature is unique and offers practical assistance in either searching for more information or using the site efficiently. User tips customarily list toll-free telephone numbers or suggestions for checking links listed in the home page. Keywords are assigned to sites based on subject. There is also the keyword “megasite” that is assigned to megasites regardless of the specific subject area. The keyword index in the back of the book itemizes keywords with the corresponding page numbers for the sites in the main text.

Griffin asserts that sites were selected for inclusion in the directory based on criteria related to sponsors, contents, and data type. She states, “The final entry selections are those with maximum advantage to the larger group of Directory audience of health researchers, allied health professionals, physicians, and other potential users” (xxiv). For the most part, selected sites are limited to those offering open access without charge. Sites with attached solicitations or advertising are excluded.

The Directory's scope reflects the presumed needs of its broad audience. Griffin notes, “The Directory content accomplishes the objective of addressing the informational, educational, and research needs of physicians, medical practitioners, researchers, allied health professionals, health providers, planners, organizations, students, writers, publishers, suppliers, and consumers” (xxix). Partly because of its broad scope, the Directory contains entries for some Web sites that probably would not have been included in other directories for health professionals. For example, there is an entry for PopNet, a source for global population information sponsored by the Population Reference Bureau. While this site furnishes some information related to health issues, its focus is population or demographics. Although some may question the inclusion of such peripheral sites in a directory for health professionals, others may appreciate this characteristic of the book.

This volume's utility lies in its advantage for both the experienced and inexperienced Internet user. It supplies brief advice about modems, disappearing URLs, copyright, online privacy, and search strategies, which may assist readers with varied knowledge of the Internet. However, Griffin writes regarding modem speed, “Until the arrival of 128 baud modems, the slower 2600 baud modems served well” (xxiv). While this statement's error is undoubtedly due to inadvertence, it is confusing for both novices and experts in a world where 14,400 baud is considered painfully slow for accessing the Internet.

Griffin claims that the Directory provides a “comprehensive list of medical online data sources” (xxv). While the book lists over 2,000 Web sites, it does not cover other types of Internet resources, such as newsgroups and mailing lists. There appears to be no pattern for similar directories to include or exclude these resources. Bruce Maxwell's How to Find Health Information on the Internet [1] includes them while Sharp and Sharp's WebDoctor: Your Online Guide to Health Care and Wellness [2] does not.

The Internet is a moving target that constantly changes. In seconds, Web sites and URLs mutate or disappear altogether. This situation presents an obvious dilemma for a compiler of a directory of Internet resources, because a paper directory may become outdated immediately after it is published. Delmar Publishers faces this problem by offering quarterly updates at its Web site of new sites for the Directory. For example, twenty-seven updates loaded in March were available at the publisher's Web site at the beginning of July 1999. This effort to offer online updates to the book is laudable. Some other directories also have offered extensions to their printed text by supplying clickable URLs on diskette or CD-ROM for linking to updated sites on the Web. These publications address the “moving target” dilemma with some energy and success.

A logical question is “Why not go simply to a directory of health resources on the Web and bypass a paper publication?” Indeed, there are authoritative, frequently updated sites available, such as MEDLINEplus, Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Resources, BioSites, and others. Many would prefer to set our browser to these sites rather than refer to a printed directory. Others may prefer the feel and the possibly more in-depth analysis found in a book. Despite a few drawbacks, the Directory of Internet Sources for Health Professionals does an admirable job as a print resource. It also endeavors to bridge the gap between the content of a paper publication with that of an online one.