Associations Switch to Free Web Access.

Associations Switch to Free Web Access

In 1991 the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) began discussions on the implementation of an experimental pilot project to provide fixed-cost access to MEDLINE for ACP members. Viewed as the final barrier to access, costs needed to be removed from the decision as to how much or how long a physician would use MEDLINE for searching for information for clinical practice, education and research. Launched in 1992, the program not only became a highly successful member benefit for ACP members but became the model for agreements with the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology, the American College of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, and the Texas Medical Association.

The Association Flat-Rate programs were certainly instrumental in achieving the goal of getting healthcare information directly to the desk of the healthcare provider. Given the move by NLM to free Web access, however, the associations together with NLM decided that these programs are no longer necessary. They are being discontinued by mutual agreement.

A great deal of thanks must go to those associations who worked with NLM to make these programs a success. NLM will continue to work closely with all the medical associations and others to achieve our mutual goal of making MEDLINE access easy. Already, many associations have built a link from their association home pages to NLM's homepage. Alliances are being made with other partners in order to make access to MEDLINE an integrated and seamless part of their products. If you would like to participate just direct your web client to: http://www.nlm.nih.gov.

If you would like more information, direct your questions to:

Karen Hajarian

301-402-4277

hajarian@nlm.nih.gov

--prepared by Karen Hajarian

Bibliographic Services Division

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Associations Switch to Free Web Access. NLM Tech Bull. 1998 Mar-Apr;(301):e2.