Tech Giants Push Open Standards for Health Network

Posted by michael on Thursday January 27, 2005 @05:44AM from the eschewing-proprietariness dept.

securitas writes "The New York Times' Steve Lohr reports that 'Eight of the nation's largest technology companies, including I.B.M., Microsoft and Oracle, have agreed to embrace open, nonproprietary technology standards as the software building blocks for a national health information network.' Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Oracle, Accenture, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard and Computer Sciences have formed the Interoperability Consortium to build a health information network proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The network is the first step in moving from paper to electronic patient records and sharing health data between doctors, researchers, insurers and hospitals. Mirrors at IHT and CNet News.com with additional coverage at IDG/ComputerWorld Australia."

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"Insurers"? by CrystalFalcon · 2005-01-27 05:52 · Score: 4, Insightful

The network is the first step in moving from paper to electronic patient records and sharing health data between doctors, researchers, insurers and hospitals.

This was completely mind-boggling to me, until I realized we're talking about the big ole US of A.

If a commercial enterprise that was supposed to be working in my interests got access to my medical data here in Europe, there'd be fucking hell to pay. Heads would roll.

Can't see why you keep putting up with it.