Acquired by WebMD in 2003, The Little Blue Book was created in 1988 by Dr. Jerry Spitz, in Hartford, Connecticut.

Dr. Jerry Spitz found himself spending considerable time and effort trying to locate phone numbers for specialists in his patients’ managed care plans. He began keeping a list of local physicians and their affiliations in his pocket, and having his office manager update it on a regular basis.

The list became a booklet, and it became burdensome for his office manager to maintain, but it was so necessary to his practice that he couldn’t let it slide. Inspiration struck – all doctors needed this booklet and it could be a successful business venture. Advertising could fund distribution so that doctors could get free copies.

Obviously it was a hit. Printed editions of the Physicians’ Telephone Directory became known by users as The Little Blue Book and the name was changed. The content has undergone many changes as more information was added; pharmacy listings to help with calling in prescriptions, UPIN information to help with filing Medicare claims, and “inside line” hospital extensions are just a few examples.

The Little Yellow Book was introduced in 1999 as a complement to The Little Blue Book.  The FAX numbers and email addresses that many, many physicians and their staff had urged us to add to The Little Blue Book are contained in it, and producing a separate directory was the answer to privacy concerns. The Little Yellow Book is only available to medical offices and accredited healthcare providers.

In 1999 The Little Blue Book also ventured into Internet directories that help consumers find a doctor in the right specialty, location and health plan.  The Little Blue Book provides content for several health-related websites, and Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine voted our DocFinderPlus.com site one of the “50 Most Incredibly Useful Sites” in 2000 and 2002.  DocFinderPlus is now called WebMD Find a Physician.