James C. Eisenach, M.D., Editor

AnesthesiaWeb
URL: http://www.anesthesiaweb.com/
Institutions: Duke University , Department of Anesthesiology and Roche Laboratories
Authors/WebMasters: David Lubarsky, M.D., chair/Mediaworks, Inc., New York, NY.

AnesthesiaWeb is an independent educational resource by and for anesthesia providers since November 1996. Designed in a monthly magazine format, AnesthesiaWeb seeks to present peer-reviewed information of interest and impact on current anesthesia practice. Content areas are diverse, and include but are not limited to ambulatory care, bioengineering, critical care, managed care, medical infomatics, pediatrics and pharmacology. A medical NewsFeed area is updated daily from major news sources and provides news pertaining to anesthesia related topics. There is no charge for access to the site, but use is restricted to medical professionals and registration is required. Roche Laboratories professional product information is available.

Quality of Information
The information contained in the site is timely and accurate. All editorial content is determined by the Anesthesia Department of Duke University Medical Center and an independent board of practicing and teaching anesthesiologists. The monthly literature review provides excellent insight in the form of opinions, commentary and abstracts on timely subjects from recent research articles in peer reviewed journals. The commentaries are thought provoking, even controversial and are well referenced. The graphics are exceptional and the page layout is attractive and functional. The pages load quickly and navigation aids are useful and unobtrusive.

Quality of Links
All of the links on the site are current and relevant to the specialty. Most of the links provide navigation through the AnesthesiaWeb site. Any link pointing outside the site is clearly marked as such. One link buried in the search page pointed to an expired NewsFeed area.
AnesthesiaWeb has an "Upcoming Conferences/Symposia" page which contains a selected listing of conferences and symposia of interest to the anesthesia community. Highlighted titles are linked to either the conference organizer's web site or to "The Doctor's Guide" for more information.

Search Capabilities
AnesthesiaWeb offers the ability to search their literature review archive. A search by keyword, author, or date returns a colorful table of each reference. Data returned includes the title, authors, print publication, commentator, issue, and abstract information. Links are provided to the article, issue, and biography of the commentator.

Summary
AnesthesiaWeb is well organized, informative and attractive. The site breaks new ground in the tasteful use of graphics, layout and color. The monthly literature reviews are insightful and thought provoking. The NewsFeed and Conference/Symposia areas offer valuable information to the practicing anesthesia professional and warrant frequent return visits.

Reviewer
Jeffrey M. Cusick, M.D.
Chief of Anesthesia Services
Yokota Air Base, Japan
PSC 78, Box 143
APO, AP 96326
jeff@cusick.com

Anesthesiology, V88, No 2, p 558, Feb 1998