The networked multimedia textbook: distributing radiology multimedia information across the Internet.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this project was to create an approach for global radiology multimedia publishing using the internet that would address the two largest problems facing radiology multimedia publishers today: the high percentage of radiologists who are computer novices and the variety of personal computers (Macintosh, Microsoft Windows/IBM-PC, X-Windows, Amiga) whose software is incompatible.


METHODS
We developed a client/server approach to multimedia publishing, the networked multimedia textbook, that has a simple booklike user interface to facilitate use by computer novices. Once created, a networked multimedia textbook can be viewed on all current popular personal computers. The networked multimedia textbook is based on the internet, World-Wide Web, Mosaic, and Wide Area Information Servers software technologies, all of which are in the public domain.


RESULTS
We created six radiology networked multimedia textbooks.


CONCLUSIONS
This networked multimedia textbook approach for the global distribution of multimedia radiology information brings the benefits of multimedia publishing on the Internet to radiologists today.
D'Alessandro
M P
MP
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242-1009.
Lacey
D L
DL
Galvin
J R
JR
Erkonen
W E
WE
Santer
D M
DM
D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D007255:Information Services; D008838:Microcomputers; D011643:Publishing; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education*; D012984:Software; D018511:Systems Integration; D013782:Textbooks as Topic; D014584:User-Computer Interface