Electronic mail: an imperative for healthcare epidemiologists

Electronic mail (e-mail) offers the potential for near-instantaneous transfer of messages and files across thousands of miles. The same message can be sent simultaneously to multiple recipients and forwarded without retyping. Messages can be sent or read at any time, eliminating "telephone tag," and, because the system is paperless, lost, blurred, and incomplete, facsimile transmissions can be minimized. Additionally, e-mail is less expensive than overnight letter services or long-distance faxes. All healthcare epidemiologists should enter the information superhighway using e-mail. This article provides basic information needed to understand and begin using e-mail.