White House Innovation Fellows On Open Health Data

Last Thursday, the White House announced the inaugural crop of Innovation Fellows. We’ve been eagerly anticipating this announcement, heralding as it does the latest exciting open government venture. In particular, we’re excited that three of the fellows are working on Blue Button, a tool to allow millions of Americans to download their personal health information electronically. The tool was created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), but its applications reach far beyond veterans. Blue Button lets you have complete control of your medical history, sharing it how, when, and with whom you choose.

The Innovation Fellows program is new, and it’s a way to let top entrepreneurs, developers, and innovators in the private sector and academia collaborate with top innovators and creators in the government. ...