Hello from Victoria! This is in reply to the wish for easy (or any) access to health information on the internet for both consumers and health care professionals as recently discussed by Dorothy and Susan. There are now some books out to help people find health information. "Dr. Tom Linden's Guide to Online Medicine" by T. Linden & M.L. Kienholz is good and not too expensive. I haven't seen this one yet but apparently it helps people learn to search (maybe not just on the internet) "InfoMedicine A Consumers Guide to the Latest Medical Research". I agree that health professionals also need to develope their skills and have ease of access. IBM has put together a concept called the HealthVillage which can be viewed at the IBM HealthCare solutions homepage at: www.solutions.ibm.com/healthcare/ and then go to HealthVillage. They hope to have a healthvillage network for the consumer, the healthcare professional as well as healthcare organizations. For the consumer they envision a library with info, a mall to purchase products, a fitness center to design fitness program and diet plans, healthcare offices to access info about new programs or procedures etc., and a village square where people gather for discussions and support. For the Healthcare professional: a health university (hope it's available for consumers too) to access medical research, education programs or dialogue with peers; a healthsupplier mall, a health association plaza for posting info, healthcare links to other info management systems. For healthcare organizations the ability to tailor make a HealthVillage according to their needs. Apparently IBM has instituted this in the USA (anyone know where?) and is looking doing it in Canada. I have some concerns about "managed" care and the access to information for consumers. Will they provide what they consumers want (for example there is alot of interest in alternative information) or what the organization wants. Do people have any comments about what needs to be in place to help both consumers and health care professionals access information and begin to make use of the technology. Regards! Judi Quail