While AHECs have had a good relationship with each other and their participants before technology was introduced, the Internet may ease the process of administering their educational programs. Now there is one record for each person represented in our system that is shared by all nine AHECs. Housed at the UNC School of Medicine, the database not only offers each regional program a central point to search for registrants, but it also lets the staff use the data in Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, and Access. While Kane hasn't forced any of the AHEC personnel to use the database, he has tried to sell the idea to them. Since they can manipulate their document in Word, they can insert a logo, modify text, etc.
Users become developers.
Having the data in a central location and accessible via powerful desktop applications also permits the development of executive information system never before possible. Besides streamlining registration, the Web also puts a new face on training. Training materials, once available only through a workshop on a certain date, now can be downloaded from the Internet. Of course, providing access to training materials sometimes causes boundary issues, so AHEC staff are discussing the role of technology in the area that AHEC has always been known for-its personalized training. Whereas in the past students and health personnel would have to search two or three individual library databases, the plan for ThiNCnet is to seamlessly connect resources from UNC, Duke, ECU, Bowman-Gray, and the AHEC libraries in one site.