Neurosurgery and the Internet

The Internet is a global computer network which has recently become accessible for many reasons to the general public. The growth in its use for entertainment purposes is now being mirrored by its application to medical interests requiring rapid communication. Neurosurgery as a speciality has a tradition of adapting quickly to new technology and can benefit from these new communication techniques. The established methods used on the Internet to transfer information are discussed along with the medical applications of these methods. The ways in which the Internet is being used have important messages for the coming NHS wide network and the future potential of computer networks in neurosurgery and medicine.