The goal of the PDQ/CANCERLIT database search service is to respond to the needs of physicians and other health care professionals to assist them in accessing information from PDQ and CANCERLlT. The service will be separate from the Cancer Information Service, but will build upon the expertise available within the CIS. The service would be marketed specifically to physicians as a quick and easy way to obtain information from PDQ and CANCERLIT. In operating the search service, the contractor will respond to inquiries received on two 800 lines, as well as inquiries via electronic mail and facsimile. The 800 number will be separate from that used for the Cancer Information Service. Up to 50 searches per day are anticipated. All inquiries and their final disposition would be documented and this documentation will be provided to the Government in an electronic form. The contractor will also develop a follow-up plan to determine user satisfaction. This service will interact extensively with the current CIS offices throughout the country, and also with a new program of the ICIC called the Information Associates Program. The IAP is a membership service that provides health care professionals access to the information products and services of the ICIC, including PDQ. The service does not, however, provide custom database searches to its members. The database search service will take referrals from both other CIS offices and from the IAP program.
