Abstract
The widespread use of web-based resources has dramatically increased access to scientifically based information of use to both health professionals and the general public. Scientific results are, however, often hard for people outside the scientific community to understand. Moreover, access to large amounts of information of various kinds often places insurmountable demands on the readers to understand, assess and select what is relevant and trustworthy. This article describes the development of «Thematic Room Stroke- care, social care and rehabilitation» at Vårdalinstitutet, the Swedish Institute for Health Sciences. This is a Swedish project resulting from close cooperation between an editing committee and about 30 researchers. It aims to present research findings on a website that healthcare teams, patients and their families and the public can easily access and use. A syllabus and texts connected with each theme may be downloaded for use in local study circles. The idea is to stimulate the participants' interest in learning independently and create a forum for dialogue and discussion in different contexts. Professionals use the website material regularly for classes and informing patients. It is hoped that an interactive forum to determine how the information is understood and used will provide important feedback on how the virtual Thematic Room Stroke may be further improved.