The Walter Reed Army Medical Center Nephrology Service Website: A Tool for Military-Wide Provider and Patient Education

Military medical subspecialists consult with referring physicians, direct patient care and education, support isolated subspecialists, and maintain cohesive readiness plans. The World Wide Web appears promising in fulfilling these roles. A website providing directed resources, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Nephrology Service website (http:@www.wramc.amedd.army. mil/departments/medicine/nephro/NEPHROLOGY/index.htm!), is described in the context of its role in military medicine and online publishing. The Walter Reed Army Medical Center Nephrology Service website provides educational resources for both patients and physicians worldwide. It remains the only Army internal medicine website to offer online category I continuing medical education credits free to military physicians, and it also allows online graduate medical education. Military medical subspecialty programs can use the World Wide Web to provide consultation and education to distant and isolated patients and providers in a practical, feasible manner. This process can be expanded to education in operational medicine and other military-specific medical topics.