NHS Web site to include drug reference information

NHS Web site to include drug reference information

Drug reference information from the British National Formulary will be part of NHS Evidence, a portal that's due to launch in April 2009, reports the United Kingdom's department of health. NHS Evidence aims to be a one-stop-shop for physicians and patients to access evidence and clinical information. The drug reference information on the site will support the safe and effective use of medicines, according to the report."

Open Health Tools project to boost HIEs

Open Health Tools project to boost HIEs
Healthcare IT News 12/12/08

The Open Health Tools (OHT) Foundation has approved a new project in principle for the development of server-based technology designed to create interoperability among disparate health information systems.

The project is expected to dramatically drive down the cost of interoperability components, which have contributed to significant cost barriers for the HIEs in their development of standards-based solutions."

Open Health Tools is a collaborative effort between national health agencies, major healthcare providers, researchers, academics, international standards bodies, and companies from Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe. Its goal is to develop common healthcare IT products and services and provide software tools and components that accelerate the implementation of electronic health information interoperability platforms, thus improving patient quality of care, safety, and access to electronic health records.

The project will be led by Misys Open Source Solutions, a division of Misys plc, who will work within the open source community to build server-side components for the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) profiles.

The first deliverable will address the IHE profiles for patient identifier cross-referencing and patient demographics query. The plan calls for an operable beta version in February 2009.

A quarter of adults likely to create online health record

Twenty-seven percent of American adults say they are extremely or somewhat likely to create an online PHR to help track their medical history and medications, according to a national online survey by research firm Morpace. The company said use of online PHRs will grow as consumers become more aware of free options through Google, Microsoft, WebMD, Revolution Health, and other sources. The survey also found that age was not a factor in whether people intend to create a PHR; Americans aged 55 and up are as likely to create an online PHR as younger Americans.