Cost efficient management of educational material.

We retrospectively examined direct and indirect costs of providing a programmed text in Respiratory Pathophysiology using World-Wide Web (WWW) technology as compared to printed paper. The direct costs were $3678 and $3988 respectively. Neither of these costs includes the substantial cost of original development of the educational material. The indirect cost of distributing printed material is $1800. The indirect cost for electronic material is $1430 but this assumes an institutional commitment to a technology infrastructure which will be used for purposes other than just educational material distribution. Given such a commitment, educational material can be managed in a way that provides efficient distribution at less cost than traditional paper distribution. The effectiveness of electronic methods is dependent on usage. A comparison study of use and satisfaction of paper and electronic versions of the material is planned.