Anyone working in a position that requires processing and management of a lot of information can attest to the psychological strain of information overload. Communication and interaction with other people is what really makes the Internet so interesting. The average wired healthcare provider is at an advantage with human and information resources available to him or her in comparison to non-wired counterparts. Cyberspace can be an effective medium for networking with colleagues around the world and is increasingly useful as a reference for some medical information. For the medical professional practicing in seclusion in rural areas or in private practices without close connections to various medical specialties, the Internet can be a godsend and allow them some of the flexibility and luxuries of a teaching hospital.
Numerous tools exist for healthcare providers to communicate and access information on the Internet.
E-mail is used to send messages to other Internet users. Newsgroups are used as electronic message boards to hold public discussions. For the time being, e-mail predominantly remains a simple text only environment. Mailing Lists Mailing lists are services that can turn any number of otherwise independent e-mail accounts into a group communication forum. The subscribers on mailing lists are people who have made specific access requests to be on the list.