Finding Answers, Not Just Searching for Them 

HepConnect simplifies, organizes and enhances the search process. From a single web search page, you can simultaneously access and query tens of millions of documents, numerous databases and websites and an amount of information that is many times greater than that accessible on the Web's surface alone ( i.e. what can be found through Google and other search engines) including sixty different virtual libraries within the biomedical community. In a matter of moments search results are available. No tracking down bookmarks. 

The pinpoint search pages of HepConnect were created in order to help simplify the search process across the comprehensive sources of the HepConnect engine. A refined 'pinpoint' search page was created for the areas of Legislation, Education, Clinical Practice, Research, News and Advocacy/Policy. Sources included in these pinpointed search pages were chosen for their ability to return the most relevant information to that specific sub search area. 

No long hours of hopping from site to site, logging in, submitting search terms, and cutting and pasting a master reference list. HepConnect allows individuals dealing with hepatitis to spend more time finding answers to disease management issues and less time searching for them. 

The biomedical community has long been one of the leaders in electronic information sharing. With the development of Universal Medical Language (UML) and large Web sites hosting major document collections, the amount of available biomedical information becomes potentially very powerful. Unfortunately as most Web users have lamented over the last half of the decade, availability does not mean accessibility. And accessibility does not always amount to usability. What currently exists are powerful localized pockets of information located in what is coming to be known as the Deep Web Developed to serve specific user communities, the content of most large Web sites is inaccessible to most traditional Internet search engines that only scan the top level of Web sites without querying the databases beneath. Harvesting information at multiple sites becomes a tedious task of opening a search page for each database, entering search terms, scanning the results, and then finding ways to save, order, or retrieve documents. 

Making Connections Across Research Agencies 

Given that there can be hundreds of pertinent sites, gleaning useful information can quickly become overwhelming. It's easier to stick to local Web sites, ones closest to the user's knowledge realm. But that can mean missing scores of important information that may speed research, improve treatment regimens, and make connections with disease complications and patient outcomes that might otherwise be missed. With HepConnect, users don't need to know which agency is working in a particular area or discipline to benefit from their information. 

HepConnect using Distributed Explorit searches multiple deep Web database collections by translating user search requests into the syntax required by the search engine for each database to be queried rather than simply indexing the surface of the database like most search engines. Search requests are then submitted in parallel to the various databases and brought back seamlessly to the search results page. 

HepConnect is currently supporting the efforts of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR). The NVHR is a coalition of public and private organizations, dedicated to reducing the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from viral hepatitis in the United States through research, strategic planning, coordination, advocacy, and leadership. 

Read more about the technology behind HepConnect 

     or contact one of the developers of the HepConnect Portal:

 

Dr. Rose Hessmiller rhessmiller@comcast.net

Abe Lederman abe@deepwebtech.com