Distribution of medical school course materials through the web: addressing the issue of printing through an analysis of the costs and utilization.

The use of computers to distribute curricular materials has grown significantly with the advent of the Web [1–3]. Furthermore, as future clinicians, students will increasingly rely on computer medical systems for patient information and outcomes [4–6]. One consequence of network distribution of curricular materials has been the subsequent increased demand on printer resources, whether through libraries or university computer labs [7, 8], a phenomenon often referred to as the “printing problem.” In 1993, the Web-based Loyola University Medical Education Network (LUMEN)‡ was developed to enhance the use of computer-aided instruction in the medical curriculum at the Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) and to distribute these resources freely to the health sciences community [9]. All the basic science courses at SSOM have traditionally distributed photocopy packets of course materials at the beginning of each course. In 2000, two freshman courses, “Structure of the Human Body” (SHB) and “Introduction to the Practice of Medicine” (IPM) elected to distribute course materials through the LUMEN Web server. Advantages of providing these materials through networks have been articulated [10, 11]. These included (1) enhanced availability to a wider audience of students, (2) ability to provide rapid updates, (3) inclusion of interactive materials, and (4) ability to evaluate utilization of the materials by analyzing server logs. The present study was designed to obtain an objective, quantitative analysis of the costs associated with the transition to Web-based distribution of course materials. The study also sought to measure changes in the level of student access of the course materials.