The Ohio Valley Community Health Information Network (OVCHIN) works to determine the efficacy of delivering health information to residents of rural southern Ohio and the urban and suburban Cincinnati area. OVCHIN is a community-based, consumer-defined demonstration grant program funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and by corporations and universities. Information is delivered via ISDN, standard dial, and dedicated network connections. Purposes of OVCHIN include providing equitable, widespread access to health-related information resources in the Ohio Valley, particularly for rural Appalachian and urban minority populations; providing comprehensive training programs for health information resources; demonstrating the use of existing telecommunications and hardware infrastructure for information dissemination; and contributing to health education and awareness. Project needs assessment revealed information needs on seven preeminent topics: drugs, diseases, physician referrals, general health and wellness, insurance, health planning, alternative therapies, and health literature. Among the materials available through OVCHIN are 14 electronic health information resources selected to meet assessed needs, information on "hot topics," and "ask the expert" electronic bulletin boards. A multifaceted approach to training the diverse users of the OVCHIN region includes in-person, on-site training in public libraries, public schools, and universities; training videos available via loan, purchase, and public television broadcast; and televised interactive training programs. This report also describes OVCHIN's hardware and software; rural problems relevant to the network's effectiveness; standards issues; the future of OVCHIN; and political, economic, and technical lessons learned. (RE)