Boston, MA and St. Louis, MO, September 25, 2000 - In one of the nation's largest online clinical information initiatives sponsored by a medical institution, Harvard Medical School announced today that it will launch a pilot project called the Digital Library featuring MD Consult's comprehensive full text medical resources.
The Digital Library will provide more than 18,000 affiliate physicians, faculty, residents, students, as well as myriad staff with access to a broad selection of electronic resources, including the Harcourt-owned MD Consult. The agreement with Harvard Medical School creates the largest user account for MD Consult, which counts 75 percent of U.S. medical schools among its institutional customers.
Funding for the initial year of the pilot comes from Harvard University. During that year, affiliate institutions of Harvard Medical School will evaluate the service and explore options for cost-sharing to continue the project.
Through the Digital Library, clinicians, faculty, students, and staff at all 17 affiliated teaching hospitals and institutions will have no-cost access to MD Consult, thus making the equivalent of millions pages of medical text available at the touch of a finger. The service's ease of access and its intuitive search capability provide quick, accurate answers to specific clinical questions.
HMS Dean Joseph B. Martin, M.D ., Ph.D., initiated the Digital Library as part of a Harvard medical community-wide Information Technology project begun in 1998. The Digital Library was developed by the Harvard Medical School IT Department and the Countway Library of Medicine. These entities will also maintain the resource.
"Information technology and the Internet continue to revolutionize the way we practice and teach medicine -- playing an essential role in the advancement of basic science and clinical research, in innovative medical education, and in the quality and cost-effectiveness of clinical care," said Dr
'"/>
Contact: Emily Ross
eross@kupperparker.com
314-290-2156
Kupper Parker Communications
24-Sep-2000