Want to NOAH good thing?

Published on
information-circle This article is more than 3 years old

In August, the AVMA's NOAH - Network of Animal Health - will be available on the AVMA Network Web site to all members, free of charge, as a member service.

This change was approved as a result of a recommendation from the Committee on Veterinary Medical Informatics to the Executive Board in November. The committee studied the challenges and opportunities for future development of AVMA Network services on the Internet, and focused its goals on strengthening services for members.

NOAHCombining NOAH with resources in the AVMA Network's Member Center will offer members a broad range of information services, including access to literature abstracts, drug information databases, online material safety datasheets, an online version of the Compendium of Veterinary Products, JAVMA classified ads, and Zoonosis Updates.

This change will also enable members to interact with the many specialists, peers, and colleagues who participate in the 15 NOAH discussion groups on the Web or via electronic mail, covering a broad range of veterinary specialty, clinical, and professional areas of interest.

NOAH has experienced increased participation during the past six months because of the activity of students and faculty at veterinary medical colleges participating in the AVMA's WAVE (Web Access for Veterinary Education) program (sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc), and the efforts of the NOAH advisory team, who share their time and talent on NOAH.

Providing NOAH to members as a member benefit signals a new phase in the AVMA's implementation of comprehensive and inclusive online member services and resources. In addition, the committee hopes that making this important benefit available to all members will encourage members who are not yet familiar with the Internet to learn more about new technologies.

With Internet users helping themselves to an increasing number of options online, it's not surprising that AVMA Network traffic statistics indicate increased usage. The average number of daily visitors to the AVMA Network increased by nearly 6,000 from October 1998 to October 1999. That adds up to more than two million more visits to the Web site in the past year. The ever-popular "Care For Pets" animal health area continues to attract the most traffic. Access Magazine (www.accessmagazine.com) recently gave the "Care For Pets" section a four-star rating in a review of pet care Web sites.