Archive for February, 2008
Google Health Presented at HIMSS
February 29, 2008
Eric Schmidt and Roni Zeiger presented Google Health at a keynote session at HIMSS in Orlando this morning.
Key points included:
- it’s the consumer’s data, the user has control
- it needs to have ease of use – the user interface must be immediately useful
- the benefit of consumer interoperability is significant
- cloud computing will allow the storage of medical records including large files like images, “easy” to accomplish for Google (200 petabytes of xrays per year not a problem)
- adoption of new consumer products are typically 5% the first year but 80-90% in 10 years
- developers are invited to create new tools around the platform of Google Health. How about child immunization records, managing the health information and medication for your elderly parent in another state.
With this kind of optimism, could adoption exceed expectations?
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Video on Paper Free Healthcare
February 29, 2008
AllScripts has posted a video on YouTube and invites discussion of this topic on their website:
www.allscripts.com/paperfree/
Report from HIMSS – Consumer Health
February 28, 2008
It has been a busy week in Orlando. The 24,000 attendees have packed sessions and the exhibit hall. More attention is being paid to consumer health issues particularly through keynote speakers like Steve Case from Revolution Health and Eric Schmidt of Google. Google and Carepages among others are exhibiting. The PHR Committee has a significant presence with several sessions focusing on PHRs. What is missing is content on Health/Web 2.0. There was a session on open source in radiology but not much else. My hope is that a Special Interest Group on Open Source and Web 2.0 be established in the future.
The acknowledgment of the importance of empowering consumers is a significant move for HIMSS which does not directly serve consumers.
Share this:Microsoft, Google and Revolution Health – Transforming Health Care?
February 23, 2008
In a post by Bill Crounse of Microsoft, he takes an open attitude about the Google Health announcement this week by presenting a “more the merrier” outlook. “Transforming healthcare is an incredibly complex challenge – one which no single organization can solve alone.” Microsoft’s HealthVault, Google’s new PHR aggregator and Revolution Health’s tool set for health care all contribute to what indeed may be a revolution. In two weeks, the second Health 2.0 conference will occur – another opportunity to add to the online tools consumers are coming to expect in health care as they have in many other industries already.
Next question – will you be able to use all 3 sites to manage your health without going to each separately? Or do you have to choose one to manage your health?
Share this:Google Health Partnership with the Cleveland Clinic
February 22, 2008
In a joint announcement today, Google and the Cleveland Clinic have launched what is being called a pilot program with the Clinic’s MyChart PHR users to connect to Google Health. On the Official Google Blog, some of the technical aspects are noted such as the GData protocol and the AuthSub interface to create what is being called a Continuity of Care Record. On the Cleveland Clinic side, it is seen as a way to push the national dialogue on electronic medical records and support national access, consumer empowerment and 24/7 accessibility/portability. The pilot will be offered on an invitation only basis to 10,000 MyChart users, a good start. Looking forward to seeing this expand in the next few months.
he bottom line issue is will consumers trust Google to store their medical records? My guess is the there is a 50/50 split on this – those who think it is adequately secure and those who are suspicious or fearful.
Share this:A New Way to Promote Patient Safety – Talk to Your Doctor
February 20, 2008
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has posted a video about this novel approach – talk to your doctor. It has certainly become an issue for many patients and physicians in the rushed clinical setting. Time to slow down and really talk. Here are some of the suggestions:
- What the barriers are to good communication between patient and doctor.
- What steps you can take to make sure you understand everything your doctor is saying.
- What questions you should ask your doctor about medical tests, diagnosis, and medicines.
- How you can ask your doctor about alternative therapies.
- How you can become more comfortable asking your doctor about sensitive topics.
Besides Carolyn Clancy of the AHRQ, the other two speakers are from AARP and AAFP. Good choices.
This video would be appropriate to link to from any health information or hospital website. Such a simple intervention to try to address patient safety – why didn’t we think of it sooner.
Insights into working at Google
February 18, 2008
Written by a Google employee, this blog post give an unusual insight into some insights about working there. And its not just the gourmet food. It includes things like microefficiencies, the scale of your impact, brilliant coworkers, empowerment and working for a green, caring company. All this after only 11 months at the company. In many ways Google has been a model for other software development companies and departments within companies. How much of their culture can be mimicked? Not all for sure. But certainly some of these aspects can benefit any firm or development group.
Share this:Information Therapy Conference
February 15, 2008
Coming up in June, the annual conference of the Center for Information Therapy will be held in Washington, DC. Titled “Wired: Next Generation Patient Care”, the conference will include tracks on health disparities and patient-centered medical home.
The Center has a website section on Information Therapy for Consumers which is worth checking out.
Share this:Can PHRs Make You Healthier?
February 14, 2008
This intriguing question from SFGate.com explores the possibility of empowered patients who take control of their health. But it will require “eventually giving people more control and understanding of complicated data.”
Four studies are being sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Quality Research ” to compare whether patients randomly assigned to use strong PHRs fare better than their counterparts who don’t go digital.” Outcomes will include, ” improvement of chronic diseases, use of cancer screenings and immunizations, and proper medication use.”
What is needed is user-friendly PHRs in the hands of motivated patients with chronic conditions where they can monitor their symptoms and improvement and communicate with their healthcare team. Hopefully, these studies will show the effectiveness of such an approach.
Share this:Some Virtual Visits Covered
February 13, 2008
In a story from the LA Times, coverage by Cigna and Aetna is described for some online visits. Particularly focused on minor problems and follow ups with existing patients, more routine office visits are moving online. Kaiser with more incentive to move to virtual visits, is even using web cams for a more personal touch. Most visits are more structure than regular email.
This is encouraging news – let’s hope other payers will follow suit.
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