Health care technology--information technology/Part 4. Why will the Internet be important to clinicians?

As the popularity of the Internet's World Wide Web exploded in 1994 and 1995, corporations began adopting the browser software called Mosaic (and its derivatives) for their networks. Why? That same software can be used to "surf" the Internet. Since Intranets are easier to maintain and less expensive, they are replacing the more expensive "groupware" applications based on client-server architectures that corporations installed over the past five years. These Intranets are based on widely-available technologies designed for the Internet, not proprietary software designed for a relatively few customers. Organizations with communication networks integrated with their transaction systems and electronic medical records will be more effective in managing health care resources--and more attractive to employers and insurers for managed care contracting.