Archive for 2008
Medicine 2.0 Conference in September
March 9, 2008
The call for abstracts for Medicine 2.0 Conference in Toronto is now open. Conference abstracts are due May 2.
The conference includes a broad range of themes including everything from PHRs to new avenues for research and collaboration to Web 3.0 – semantic web applications. Organized by Gunther Eysenbach and the Journal of Medical Internet Research. This unique conference is limited to 200 attendees. What distinguishes this conference from Health 2.0 is that this effort focuses on web 2.0 in the practice of medicine and medical research while Health 2.0 is more consumer focused. See the map of Medicine 2.0.
Is this preliferation of conferences around Web 2.0 in health care the best approach to using these tools to enhance health care or should they be integrated into mainline conferences? Since we are early in the adoption cycle of these technologies in health care, these kind of meetings can help build a base for developing the trend. There may come a point where these will gain respect in mainline health IT.
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Consumer-Centricity
March 6, 2008
Jane Sarasohn-Kahn posts a commentary on the HIMSS 2008 conference identifying significant themes which came through in this monster conference-exhibition of 28,000. The these include:
- openness – of code such as Microsoft’s promise to open their API to HealthVault and Google doing the same for Google Health, others also demonstrating interoperability
- security – privacy protection, Google Health (is it secure enough), World Privacy Forum
- consumer-centric – not just from the big guys but also Allscripts and Relay Health
A good summary of a big event – worth reading.
Share this:First HIMSS, Now Health 2.0
March 5, 2008
The Health 2.0 conference took place in San Diego this week. I was disappointed that I could not attend (started a new job Monday).
Looks like it was a big success – sold out again. Some information is available on the Health 2.0 Blog including a link to a brochure on the Health 2.0 vision which helps articulate where this movement is going.
Videos also available from ICYou again.
Share this: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?
Share this: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.
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