PHR buzz

I read yesterday the attached article about the acqusition of the collaborative care management services vendor- MEDecision by Health insurer - Health care srvice corporation for $121M in cash.

It seems from the positive aspect that Google and Microsoft penetration to this market is causing a buzz - creative one.
Potential buyers, developers, IT solution providers companies,Medical professionals and consumers are getting more and more interested about this subject and enjoy the fruits of this prosperity.This growing interesting is having financial influence

From the strategic aspect, as I wrote above, this is a good atmosphere for all the competitors but later on some of them surely will pay the price of the "Big lions penetration/involvement".

Microsoft and Google involvement on health 2.0 - Privacy concerns

Yesterday NY Times published a review about an article which was written recently on New England Journal of Medicine

The issue : Privacy concerns regarding MS and google's PHR web based projects .

Some of the concerns are well known and based by strong evidence and theories (ofcourse you can read them on the attached link to the article or in the original review on New England) but still everyone should remember several points as well :

1. Its time that the health sector and consumers will earn and get benefits from the highly speed emerging technology on the web.

2. Privacy is a major an important issue but we should not prevent progressing by adopting technology on behalf of being "privacy guards".

3. Strong power and influence by several major companies on tremendous highly valuble health data is maybe not the optimal situation but the involvement of this two giants in the health sector is going to bring prosperity to the health 2.0 world and eventually to the "general" and traditional health sector. More powefull health sector means better services for the public .

I will be more than pleased to hear and listen to my collegues thoughts and ideas regarding this issue

Microsoft vision on health

Maybe some of you will have the chace to participate in the free event that is going to take place between Aprill 22 and April 24 in Atlantic City New Jersey:

Microsoft Health & Life Sciences Developer and Solutions Conference 2008

Watch the attached link to understand more deeply about the contents and participants among Microsoft executives.

The mission statement by their own words:
"It is a unique event designed for developers, architects, technical and business decision makers in the healthcare industry. Please join us to discover how Microsoft, its partners, and customers make possible the delivery of Software + Services in Health & Life Sciences".

This year it looks more important than ever because of the emerging influence of the health 2.0 on Microsot strategic and tactics in the health and life science sector.

Special video program about Microsoft's Healthvault

This weekend belonges to the giants ( only in my blog).
I want to share with you a special video program about Healthvault - Microsoft plan and vision regarding the health sector on the net (their plan and vision on the health 2.0 sector).
The program was recorded by Bill Crounse, MD - Microsoft's worldwide health director . The link is from his blog.There you can watch and here this program via various formats.
Enjoy

Medical search engine- a competitive niche

I wrote in the past about several medical search engines.
This niche is "hot" these days.
Everyone understand the power beyond ultimat medical search engine.
Microsoft purchased Medstory . Google is deep inside the health 2.0 race also ( see my last post as an evidence and example for this).
Curbside.MD is another example and I must say a good one.

1. You can naturally phrase medical and clinical questions in the search bar. Its like asking your tutor or your coleague professional question.

2. There are well defined sections . Including "Quick Consult" section for getting high level review results and "The Best Evidence " to get in- depth results and answers for your questions.

3. There is an algorithm to get the "best hits" results and also results under the topics "clinical trials" and "visual diagnosis".

I will add this platform to ours Medical 2.0 directory.
But he will have strong competition from the others including the "big lions"
Its going to be so interesting in the "medical search engine" this year and in the following year as well.

Googles vision on health/medical 2.0 sector

Attached review by Reuters which published on CNET news.

Its about parts of Googles vision regarding the health on the net.
The speaker is Marrisa Mayer, Google's vice president of Search Products & User Experience.

Indeed, this sector will be under the scope of the giants.
Sure, there will be a place for lot of entrepreneurs in this sector.

Marrisa Mayer's vision .