As I sat down to review The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, which was provided to me as the online version, I wondered, how would this textbook look on my new iPad? Would it be readable? Would it be better than on my desktop? Would it be any better than a “real” textbook? Could this be a new era where information really does get to the bedside?
The short answer is yes—The ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine Online is very readable on the iPad, and as such I think it marks another step in the ongoing shift of information online, making it more mobile. But is an online textbook the answer to “point of care” information in medicine? No, but it is a very useful step forward in helping bring evidence-based information and guidelines to clinicians into day to day practice.