The networked multimedia textbook: distributing radiology multimedia information across the Internet

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this project was to create an approach for global radiology multimedia publishing using the internet that would address the two largest problems facing radiology multimedia publishers today: the high percentage of radiologists who are computer novices and the variety of personal computers (Macintosh, Microsoft Windows/IBM-PC, X-Windows, Amiga) whose software is incompatible.

Materials and methods: We developed a client/server approach to multimedia publishing, the networked multimedia textbook, that has a simple booklike user interface to facilitate use by computer novices. Once created, a networked multimedia textbook can be viewed on all current popular personal computers. The networked multimedia textbook is based on the internet, World-Wide Web, Mosaic, and Wide Area Information Servers software technologies, all of which are in the public domain.

Results: We created six radiology networked multimedia textbooks.

Conclusion: This networked multimedia textbook approach for the global distribution of multimedia radiology information brings the benefits of multimedia publishing on the Internet to radiologists today.