I think that there is so much we could actually do to lower the cost in deployment, implementation and uptake if we just thought about problems differently, in my case I would suggest a more commoditized mindset.

Many people do not realise that inside all Microsoft products are actually development platforms (they have API’s or service calls that can be used to create applications) – even such “applications” as those found in Office and even Microsoft Office Word can be used to create domain specific applications. To show this for the healthcare domain we have been working with our partner in Healthcare Terminology HealthLanguage Inc (Denver, Colo., USA) to create a demonstrator which is [nominally] called “OfficeDoctor”.

I have just published a whitepaper called “Healthcare Terminology and Microsoft 101 for technical people” which takes a 101 level view of using terminology in an IT setting and taking the current development of OfficeDoctor to demonstrate this capability. I have also created a presentation for clinical-IT people to explain the concept and capabilities of using commoditised software, specifically Microsoft Office Word in this case. In essence the OfficeDoctor demonstrator shows the power of an SOA framework that uses an extensible document structure.

A version of this presentation is available on the HL7 Singapore web site http://www.hl7.org.sg/Home/public-file-repository)

After speaking to a lot of people about this over the past 12 months I have decided to create a series of blog entries showing several possible “How could” scenarios for Office in Healthcare – everything from the current OfficeDoctor stuff (above) to using PowerPoint as for PHR management and patient education…<to be continued/>