Many AFP readers use AFP Online for clinical information, as well as to interact with colleagues. It may surprise you to know that the AFP Web site pages are viewed more than 2.5 million times, on average, each month, by more than 1 million “unique visitors.” Also, more than 14,000 readers complete the CME Clinical Quiz online.

Everyone at AFP has been working to take advantage of new technology and make the AFP Online experience more valuable for readers and authors. Here is a brief update on some of AFP Online's newest features.

New Videos in This Issue

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video may be worth several thousand. Our cover article in this issue, on anterior cruciate ligament injury, includes four video clips demonstrating how to perform diagnostic maneuvers. We hope to include more videos in AFP Online in the future, and we will be creating an online library of videos when more are available.

Finding Clinical Information

In May, we launched “AFP By Topic: Editors' Choice of Best Current Content” (https://www.aafp.org/afp/topics). You can access the list of collections from the AFP home page (https://www.aafp.org/afp) or by clicking on “ AFP By Topic” on the left side of any AFP Web page.

This feature now includes 39 collections on the most common clinical topics, with more to come. In addition, they are continually updated when each new issue is published.

Join the AFP Community

The new AFP Community Blog (http://afpjournal.blogspot.com) was introduced in August, and features postings by Kenny Lin, MD, associate medical editor for AFP Online, about topics important to family physicians. Several other physicians have also contributed postings. The commenting function on the blog allows readers to contribute their own opinions or offer additional information on the topics presented. This is an excellent way to interact with your colleagues and contribute to discussions on current issues.

You can join the discussion by subscribing to the blog; you will receive e-mails when a new blog is posted. The blog also includes tools to share the posts using Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Lin recently added a few useful “widgets” on the blog page: a BMI calculator; a tool to find screening, counseling, and preventive medication services specific to a patient's risk factors; and a link to the latest influenza updates. More widgets may be added in the future.

New Series of Pro/Con Editorials

We presented the first in a series of pro/con editorials in the September 1, 2010, issue. Each pair of editorials presents different views on current clinical issues. AAFP members may post comments on the editorials; we hope for a lively, professional discussion on these interesting, and sometimes controversial, issues.

Other Online Tools, Networking Opportunities

In August, we launched AFP Facebook and Twitter pages (http://www.facebook.com/AFPJournal and http://twitter.com/AFPJournal). By following our status updates at these sites, you'll be able to connect and interact with the latest issue of AFP, be alerted to new features and online enhancements, and keep up to date on the latest news related to the journal. These sites also provide a forum for you to comment about issues in family medicine raised in the journal.

Remember that you can access the current issue and all of these tools on the AFP home page at https://www.aafp.org/afp. Watch this page for special announcements, important links, articles published online before print, and new information. Take a moment now to bookmark this page in your online browser. You will have easy, quick access to AFP and won't miss any announcements.

What Do You Think?

The smooth running of these systems is a continuous learning and improvement process. We welcome your feedback on how we can further enhance AFP Online to meet your needs. Please send your comments and suggestions to afpedit@aafp.org.