| Title page | Introduction | Internet | Teaching file | Sharing | Conclusion | References |
| Table 1 | Table 2 | Table 3 | Table 4 | Figure 1 | Figure 2 |
There is an explosion in the use and usefulness of the Internet including some resources of specific interest to Nuclear Medicine. Mosaic and similar World-Wide-Web client programs have spurred the expansion of the National Information Infrastructure (NII), the information superhighway. By pointing and clicking the user can navigate around the world on the World-Wide-Web. The ability to link together resources throughout the world provides a powerful new mechanism for collaboration. By simply including a link an author at one site can reference resources at other sites.
In this paper, we have focused on development of a case-based teaching file since several of the authors already have experience with this application. Development of teaching file material is time consuming. However, by being able to link to materials developed at other institutions, the final product is multiplied by the number of collaborators. Each institution can invest a moderate effort, but the end-product can be very impressive.
The abilities and interests vary from institution to institution. Some nuclear medicine professionals may be exceptionally good at capturing very interesting case material. Others may be particularly good at integrating the material into a teaching file case. Still others may have a particular ability to weave a number of cases into a presentation about a particular topic. And still other professionals, such as librarians, may be particularly good at indexing the available resources.
The World-Wide-Web allows all of these individuals to work separately, but still be able to collaborate on the final product. Each contributor's effort needs to be appropriately identified. The suggested rules of etiquette in Table 4 attempt to allow free and open collaboration while at the same time retaining recognition of each individual who contributed to the overall product. For example, an index at one institution with its author clearly identified might point to a collection of cases at another institution, again with the author clearly identified. That collection might in turn be linked to yet another clearly identified institution, and so forth. Each contributor and his/her contribution could be recognized.
We are in the very early phases of learning how to use this new capability. There are several issues yet to be answered. As nuclear medicine resources multiply, how does one find the best source of information? How can the quality control of the educational resources be maintained? How can peer review be integrated with the development of Internet-based resources? How can development of Internet based educational materials become a recognized academic activity?
The World-Wide-Web provides an exciting new method of communication. Methods of using it in Medicine are just starting to be explored, but we expect to see very rapid development in its use.
The Internet Focus Group meeting on August 20-21, 1994 was supported by the Computer and Instrumentation Council of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. This report has been approved by the Executive Committee of the Computer and Instrumentation Council, Alden Bice, PhD, Trevor D. Cradduck, PhD, S. James Cullom, PhD, J. Anthony Parker, MD PhD, Jerold W. Wallis, MD PhD, Margaret Daube-Witherspoon, PhD, and Michael V. Yester, PhD
| Title page | Introduction | Internet | Teaching file | Sharing | Conclusion | References |
| Table 1 | Table 2 | Table 3 | Table 4 | Figure 1 | Figure 2 |