Internet Utilization Among Medical Information Specialists in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Academia
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0092-8615198 Copyright 0 1998 Drug Information Association Inc.
INTERNET UTILIZATION AMONG MEDICAL INFORMATION SPECIALISTS IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA STEVENT. JOHNSON,PHARMD Drug Information Resident*
CINDYJ. WORDELL,BS, PHARMD Assistant Director of Pharmacy Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Drug Use Policy and Medical Information Service of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital conducted a survey of industry- and academic-based drug information centers to examine the types of Internet-based resources provided and used, demographics of the centers, and electronic mail and World Wide Web usage. A total of 464 surveys were sent (293 to industry sites and 171 to academic sites), with a response rate of 29%. Results indicated that medical information specialists in industry- and academic-based drug information centers use the Internet daily. Most centers have access to e-mail and the World Wide Web. Fewer that 25% of the respondents provided a homepage f o r their cente,: Internet usage in manv centers has increased ji-om the previous yea,: Key Words: Internet; Medical information specialists; Drug information center
INTRODUCTION
frequently used Internet services, with approximately 25 and 60 million users in 1996, THE INTERNET IS A worldwide network respectively. Growth predictions suggest that of interlinked computers. It was created in the global number of users of the WWW and the 1960s to allow the United States Depart- e-mail will expand to 170 and 200 million, ment of Defense (DOD) to link with defense respectively, by the year 2000. contractors and research universities (1). It Recent literature has suggested that the has grown into a vast network of computers health care sector ( 2 ) , and pharmacists spethat services millions of users in over 150 cifically (3), have been slow to adopt Internet countries worldwide. The World Wide Web technology into routine practice, despite min(WWW) and electronic mail (e-mail) are two imal costs and a relative ease of access. The Internet is cited as a potential information source for pharmaceutical researchers and *Steven T. Johnson is now Clinical Pharmacist Specidpractitioners, however, concern has been ist, Drug Information and Utilization, Grady Memorial raised regarding the quality of information Hospital, Atlanta. Georgia. available (43). Medical information specialReprint address: Steven T. Johnson, PharmD, Cliniists are expected to be at the forefront of cal Pharmacist Specialist, Drug Infomation and Utiliinformation retrieval, analysis, and synthesis. zation, Grady Memorial Hospital, 80 Butler Street SE, Atlanta, GA 30335-3801. A search of the published literature revealed 547
Steven T. John.roir arid Cirid\: J. Wordell
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no data describing the extent to which medical information specialists use the Internet. Interest in the Internet grew within the Drug Use Policy and Medical Information Service of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital because it could serve as a medium to expand services across the entir
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