ABSTRACT

The rise of the Internet presented us with a defining moment at the end of the last millen-nium. Some saw it as a technological revolution rivalling Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. Others saw it as just another tool that, like the telephone or television, would soon pass into common usage and leave our lives relatively unchanged. However, the Internet defies such simple analysis. It is not a single entity, but represents the conjunction of several quite different technological and social forces. Consequently, its implications for the way information is created, distributed and accessed are wide ranging. For healthcare in particular, the implications for the way healthcare is delivered are significant.