CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 22, 80-86, Copyright
© 1972 by American Cancer Society
The Role of Dial Access in a Cancer Information Service
G. Congdon Wood Ph.D.1
1 Assistant Vice President for Professional Education, American Cancer Society, New York, New York.
A Dial Access tape library offers quick, authoritative, up-to-date information (which may not be available locally) at little or no cost to the physician. It can often provide access to live consultation or to other sources of more detailed information. There are, however, certain disadvantages inherent in these systems: a minimum initial investment is required for equipment, telephone service charges and preparation of tapes, regardless of the volume of use. Unless long term financial stability for medical information services is achieved through federal support, the burden will fall on privately operated medical organizations including voluntary health agencies. These groups can and should appreciably reduce costs through collaborative programs. It is difficult to gain wide acceptance among physicians of the newer technological devices and systems, and to objectively determine the true value of Dial Access to physicians. Developing effective means for obtaining realistic evaluation of the impact of structured communication systems on medical practice will require intensive, imaginative experimentation on the part of the interested sponsoring agencies.
We are talking about a partnership here. Forexample, the National Library of Medicine with its Lister Hill Center as a service agency is forming a partnership with medical schools and their faculties to improve undergraduate and graduate medical education. Similarly, at local or regional levels, one or more voluntary agencies (in collaboration with Regional Medical Programs) might well develop working relationships with medical societies and practicing physicians to make a significant contribution to the overall continuing medical education effort.
