Journey into cyberspace worth the trip
March 1, 1997 4 minutes read
Journey into cyberspace worth the trip
EH information abounds on the World Wide Web
If you’re not yet "surfing the Net" and exploring the World Wide Web, you’re missing the boat, say occupational health professionals who have launched into cyberspace.
"Net" is short for Internet, the world’s largest computer network actually a vast network of networks with an estimated 50 million users.
"Surfing the Net" usually means exploring the World Wide Web, a subset of the Internet. The Web is a network of information sites called "home pages." Each home page has its own electronic address, similar to an e-mail address. Web pages are characterized by their compelling graphic displays, as well as their hypertext "linking" capability. When a Web page displays a link to another Web page, you can click on that link and you will be transported to the other site. Following a trail of links from site to site often provides an unexpected wealth of information.
A growing number of Web sites contain valuable information for employee and occupational health practitioners.
"I would hope that every occupational health nurse who is trying to stay up to date with everything that is going on in the field has access to the Internet; otherwise, they are going to be left behind," says Kae Livsey, RN, MPH, governmental affairs manager for the Atlanta-based American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN). "It’s a real boon in providing access to information that has never been available before."
Web navigation not difficult
Livsey, who uses the Web to obtain copies of legislation pending before Congress and other government documents in seconds, as well as occupational health data, says navigating the Web is not difficult, even for people who lack advanced computer skills.
"You just get on the Internet and perform a search for the topic you want. It would behoove everybody to take an interest in the Internet and learn about it. The information you can get is limitless. To be current in your practice, it’s a necessity," she states.
JoAnn Shea, MSN, NP, employee health manager at Tampa (FL) General Hospital, has been exploring the Web for several months and finds it useful for up-to-the-minute information on ergonomics, substance abuse, exposures, stress management, and vaccines. She has used that information for writing employee newsletters, delivering presentations, and in one-on-one conversations with employees during clinic visits.
"We use the Internet all the time; it’s great, very progressive. Everything on it is so current," says Shea, who plans to add literature searches of a medical library to her on-line research activities.
Although Shea acknowledges the "intimidation factor" associated with the Internet for some practitioners, she has found it easy to navigate the Web.
"You just [enter a] search, and it comes up with whatever you need," she says. "The only way to learn is just to get on it, just search and play with it. It’s really not difficult."
The Internet also offers a variety of occupational health-related newsgroups and bulletin boards, and many Web sites include an e-mail address for questions or comments, which increases the sites’ interactive value.
Editor’s note: It is not possible to list all the Web sites that could be useful to EHPs. Most sites include links to other Web sites, and by clicking on those links, you can be led to more specific information. You can start by entering a search word or phrase for the topic you seek (such as "ergonomics" or "latex allergies" or "occupational health") in a search box, and the Web will return an index page with links to pages that match your keywords. Or, if you know the address of a Web site you want to visit, you can enter the address directly.
To help you get started, we have included the addresses to a few general Web sites that contain helpful information for EHPs:
http://www.cdc.gov/cdc.html
The Web site for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes health information, present and past MMWRs, information on publications and products, surveillance reports, and data and statistics.
http://www.osha.gov/
The Web site for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration includes standards, data and statistics, Federal Register notices, programs and services, publications, and links to U.S. government sites and safety and health sites.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health site includes NIOSH database information, publications, respirator information, compendium of occupational and environmental questionnaires, information about the health hazard evaluation program, the latest NIOSH news, and links to related Web sites.
http://turva.me.tut.fi/~oshweb/
The Occupational Safety and Health Board Web page includes links to subjects such as chemical safety, ergonomics, occupational medicine, risk management, information services, government agencies, and other resources.
http://infoventures.com/osh/
OSH-Link provides links to abstracts of current literature on occupational safety and health arranged by industry classification, injury or disorder, and exposure.
http://ohr2.systoc.com/
The Occupational Health Research Resource Center includes news, outcomes and protocols, a conference calendar, questions and answers, a reference library, and links to related sites.
http://www.aohp.org/aohp
The Web site for the Association of Occupa tional Health Professionals in Healthcare includes information on the organization, list of officers and directors, meetings calendar, and e-mail.
http://www.aaohn.org
The Web site of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses contains information on certification, employment, publications, AAOHN news, and a discussion forum.
http://www.ahcpub.com
The Web site for American Health Consult ants, publisher of Hospital Employee Health, includes health care news, publications information, and links to dozens of health care agencies and associations.
Reference
1. Levine JR, Baroudi C, Young ML. The Internet for Dummies. 3rd ed. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide; 1995.
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