FastHealth allows Mayo to provide advanced online healthcare information to anyone with Internet access. Community members can now search for health information on over 5,000 health-related topics, receive online access to a local physician directory and access an online FastNurse research assistant.

Mayo physicians can direct patients to the FastHealth service as a location where they can find in-depth information and research on health conditions, diseases and treatments. Patient education features include a comprehensive consumer medical dictionary, a health-topic search engine and a drug encyclopedia directory.

"FastHealth research shows that health information is the number one topic requested via the Internet," saud Ralph Gabarro, Mayo's Chief Executive Officer. "As consumer demand for online health information grows, FastHealth will help position Mayo's web site as the place to turn to for community access to interactive healthcare."

Mayo's Web site already offers a wealth of medical information and links to numerous health information sources, but those links often lead visitors away from the hospital's site with no way to return.

The FastHealth service packages health information in a more readily accessible format, and every page of information is branded with the Mayo logo and offers a direct link back to Mayo and its physicians. This approach puts Mayo in the center of online interactive healthcare, just as the hospital is physically at the center of the community, Gabarro noted.