OSCON: Open Source Meets Health Care Industry?

Published at LXer:

Linux Journal: "But with all of this focus on streamlining and digitally electrifying health records, I began to wonder where did the Open Source community stand and where is its input? There is certainly a lot of money sitting out there for someone who wants to try to build the better mouse trap."

Hoover’s co-founder Patrick Spain launched a new venture today, aiming to provide an online, subscription health care service to the U.S.

By insisting on a softly softly approach to electronic health records, the Government has missed out on an opportunity to revolutionise health care in Australia, instead paving the way for a two track national healthcare system for the foreseeable future.

By insisting on a softly softly approach to electronic health records, the Government has missed out on an opportunity to revolutionise health care in Australia, instead paving the way for a two track national healthcare system for the foreseeable future.

Industry has broadly welcomed Federal plans to spend $466.7 million building a national electronic records management infrastructure in the health sector, but say too few details have been released to fully understand what the system might achieve.

The Federal Government and States have been warned that doctors and other health professionals will require financial incentives to encourage them to fully participate in the Government’s e-health plans and prepare for the introduction of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) according to the e-health transition authority Nehta.

The Government’s fooling itself if it thinks that the $466.7 million allocated in last week’s Budget will buy it a national e-health record system,  but nor should it pony up billions to pay for a big bang electronic health network as the UK’s £30 billion e-health initiative has proved a squib.

The agreement between the Federal, State and Territory Governments on a series of national health reforms which was signed off this week has broken the deadlock for major e-health reforms across Australia.