COSI 'Open' Health

Health Classes in Today's Schools

Do you remember taking health class in junior high or high school? I remember it vaguely A series of very boring classes with lessons about the food pyramid and some other stuff that I really can't recall. I'm not sure I ever did anything with what I was taught. Read More »

Public Health & Biosurveillance in the U.S.

What has been going on across the country with regards to local health departments, public health services, and biosurveillance programs? Here's a quick update based on information being disseminated by the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO). Read More »

Latest report about the economic impact of 'open source' on small & mid-size businesses

I ran across this recent report entitled "Economic Impact of Open Source on Small Business: A Case Study" and thought you might also find it of interest. It was written by Mike Hendrickson, Roger Magoulas, Tim O'Reilly and released in July 2012. You can download this free report at Read More »

Predictive Medicine & 'Open' Health IT Systems

The coming decades will see a continued shift from a focus on contemporary medicine practices to preventive medicine, predictive medicine, and regenerative medicine. Read More »

'Open' Health IT Architecture

I have had some major issues with IT Architects over the years and the many prolific and useless dissertations they produce that are usually of little real value or practical use to senior IT managers responsible for day-to-day operations.  That does not mean that I don't appreciate the need for a good, practical IT architectural blueprint or roadmap that will help one make better decisions about the technology to acquire and implement to best meet the operational business needs of the organization for the future. What follows is a high level management introduction to 'Open' Health IT Architecture for those who are new to this whole arena. Read More »

'Open' Health IT Standards

Mention standards and my eyes usually start to glaze over. However, standards can be exciting and do matter, especially to businesses, because they may have to ensure that their products interoperate with the dominant industry standards if they are to succeed. Where standards don't exist, a particular business may try to ensure the proprietary specifications they have been using to develop their own products become the industry standard that others must follow. This will give them an edge or head-start on their competitors. However, the optimum approach for both consumers and industry as a whole is for a truly collaborative and set of 'open standards' to emerge that all companies must adhere to. Read More »

European Union eHealth Task Force Report

The European Union eHealth Task Force just released a report entitled "Redesigning Health in Europe for 2020".   This is an excellent and concise report on changes the EU nations need to make to radically improve the way these countries and their citizens manage and receive health care. The report focuses on how to achieve a vision of affordable, less intrusive and more personalized care. Their vision calls on the use of Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) and 'open' access to healthcare data to increase the quality of life and improve mortality rates for its citizens.

Read More »

Tablet Computers, Open Source, & Healthcare

The tablet market has experienced rapid growth over the last two years. It has outpaced other computer devices at a similar point in their lifecycle.  In fact, shipments of tablet computer devices may exceed 350 million units by 2016 according to various estimates from various  industry experts. The medical community, in particular, has taken to tablets in droves over the past year and sales show no signs of slowing.  The reason is that clinicians have found tablet computer devices to be a user-friendly product that readily fits into their clinical business practices.  Read More »

U.N. E-Gov Survey 2012: E-Government for the People

According to the latest E-Government survey by the United Nations, progress in online service delivery continues in most countries around the world. The U.N. E-Gov Survey 2012 found that many countries have put in place e-government initiatives and information and communication technologies (ICT) applications for the people to further enhance public sector efficiencies and streamline governance systems to support sustainable development. Among the e-government leaders, innovative technology solutions have gained special recognition as the means to revitalize lagging economic and social sectors. Read More »

Loosening the rules for consumer access to OTC drugs

Some naysayers from the drug industry are strenuously objecting to a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) proposal that could make more prescription-only drugs — such as those to treat asthma, migraines, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol — more accessible without having to schedule a doctors appointment. “Medicine needs to take medical care to where the patients are,” Janet Woodcock, Director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, testified at a hearing in March. See Internal Medicine News. Read More »