OBJECTIVE: The Internet is a rapidly growing communications resource
that is beginning to have an impact on medicine, and it is anticipated that
the Internet will soon have a major effect on psychiatry. It is essential
for psychiatrists to have a conceptual framework for understanding the many
aspects of the Internet. METHOD: Using a four- layer model, the authors
describe the components of the Internet and how these work together to
establish communication. They discuss some of the practical implications of
the model, potential future applications of the Internet, and some of the
challenges its use will create. RESULTS: In the Internet model described,
the bottom three layers involve hardware and modes of information
transmission; the fourth layer is human interaction. The Internet has great
potential in psychiatric education, clinical care, research, and
administration, but major adjustments in individual and organizational
expectations and responses will be needed. These changes relate to the
speed, dispersion, volume, privacy, and permanence of communication.
CONCLUSIONS: The growth of the Internet and related information
technologies is inevitable and has diverse technical and social
implications. As psychiatrists, we must remain effective communicators of
information and adjust to a changing world with new roles and skills that
will permit us to best serve our professional mission.Abstract Teaser