Health IT wurkz

Computers don't save hospitals money (an IMO)

2009-12-03T07:27:06Z

Finally , we have academic, peer reviewed, evidence that just because you use Health IT does not directly equate to better care. Something that we all know but are unable to accurately prove in many cases. I saw this article in Computerworld, written about a Harvard Medical School research study looking into The problem "is mainly that computer systems are built for the accountants and managers and not built to help doctors, nurses and patients," the report's lead author, Dr. David Himmelstein,...(read more)

Let’s get physical…

2009-12-03T05:13:58Z

Since my last post I have come to realise that I cannot really get much further with the work I am doing without a better understanding of .NET development. So, for the past several months I have been converting my java development skills (+Deplhi, C++…) and adding deeper ,NET abilities. I am at the point now where I can safely work within a limited .NET engagement (I am by no means a guru level…yet). What I have found is that I have been mistaken in many of my views about how difficult delivering...(read more)

Use of Commoditized software for Clinical Noting goes Academic!

2009-09-04T06:38:37Z

I write about the work we are doing with Office to allow it to deliver better healthcare (especially clinical) value a LOT. I guess it’s probably a bit of a syndrome in my case – “Microsoftalcerebritis” or some such. Some time back I wrote a paper for submission to the Health Informatics [Society of] New Zealand (HINZ) and it got accepted! No idea as yet when it will be published, but it is going to be on the conference CD and, I hope, the conference web site at some point. As well as that paper...(read more)

QTnT (Quick Techie-nerd-Time)

2009-08-25T09:41:02Z

One of the features that help you to type faster in Microsoft word is the grammar auto correction. But, as with anything, it can be too much of a good thing. I use the acronym “EHR” a lot and one of the things that always bugs me is that word corrects this every time to “HER”. As with many aspects of Microsoft word this grammar correction is configurable. If you open Word Options and select “Proofing” then the “AutoCorrect Options” button. Find the “ehr” key and delete it. That now means I can type...(read more)

Making more of a case for Office Word use in healthcare

2009-08-13T06:14:23Z

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...(read more)

HIT Doom and gloom is relative

2009-05-05T11:35:39Z

In my entry “Interesting Times” I commented on an article relating to a review of information on Healthcare IT implementations and how they have not been as successful as many would/did imagine. It is not all doom and gloom in this area – there are many places where IT is making a difference in healthcare (both in expected and unexpected areas). As with any literature review you should read as much as possible and make up your own mind. In my case I always go to the peer reviewed journals such as...(read more)

Interesting Times

2009-03-18T05:16:25Z

This morning the following one caught my eye: " Bad Bet on Medical Records " with a key line: "The assumption underlying the proposed investment in health IT is that more and better clinical information will improve care and save money." The issue at hand is that people see money spent in IT for health as a fix for healthcare systems. This is wrong. IT is one of the tools we use to augment the delivery of care. Health IT can work, but only if there is a firm grounding in the basics of IT-value to...(read more)

NEW CUI version released

2009-02-12T13:42:30Z

Exciting news from the Microsoft NHS team; they have just released new components and Design guidance for the Common User Interface project! Rather than bore you with my commentary here is the page reference and a quick peak. the link: http://www.mscui.net/Blog/post/Whats-New-in-Microsoft-Health-CUI-(February-2009).aspx Graphing Control : Ok - so I HAVE to comment - This is a great control and long overdue - you *MUST* check out the WPF version of this control at http://www.mscui.net/Components/Graphing.aspx...(read more)

e-Referral Pattern: Roles and responsibilities of the actors involved

2009-02-02T09:36:38Z

To recap: In a previous blog post I introduced the concept of the e-Referral pattern - as an atomic structure. The most basic premise of the pattern is that there is communication between 2 parties via a channel of some sort. At either end of the channel are trusted points of data/information production and consumption. The channel by which the end points communicate is can be anything, the key consideration is that the channel is not trusted (to be secure, private or reliable). Security is not the...(read more)

LiveMesh Mobile beta is available on CTP

2008-12-15T17:43:01Z

For some time now I have been one of the lucky few to be using the new cloud technology called LiveMesh. I will have to do an entire post sequence on the power this brings to HIT but for now let me just say that THE MOBILE CLIENT IS AVAIALBLE!!!! and can be found here: https://www.mesh.com/Web/MobileDownload.aspx I'm currently using this to great effect with my HTC Touch Pro synching my pickies to all my machines in my LM net....(read more)

New CUI components!!

2008-12-15T16:41:00Z

I forgot to publish this when it happened a week or so ago - but there are new CUI features Our Patient Journey Demonstrator is now more interactive than ever! Updated with the latest Microsoft Health CUI Silverlight controls, you can now: Create a consultation using a Clinical Noting input form Encode text using SNOMED-CT, provided by Health Language, Inc. Add dynamic highlighting and notes to the Deep Zoom ECG results Explore multi-input inking for creating clinical notes on the Angiogram video...(read more)

COTS implementation of the e-Referral Pattern

2008-12-15T15:19:17Z

If we accept that e-Referral follows the basic atomic pattern of [trusted] producer - [unsecured] channel - [trusted] consumer then we can apply the structure to just about any platform and any transmission mechanism. In a previous post I suggested that we could use Word and Outlook to implement the e-Referral pattern so what does this mean in terms of IT risk profile and coding development. Simply put, the majority of functionality required to implement this pattern already exists in the products,...(read more)

Implementing e-Referral as a Pattern

2008-11-07T09:37:30Z

If we can accept that communication interactions within healthcare are atomically simple processes involving production and consumption of data/information between trustworthy points transmitted via un-trusted media then we can develop the most complex of interaction from some very simple rules. This idea takes its lead directly from Chaos and automata mathematics theory. In Chaos theory we are looking for patterns beyond which the structure of the environment breaks down into meaningless drivel...(read more)

Starting the journey

2008-08-25T11:59:15Z

It's been an incredibly long time between postings...but I have a really good reason - I didn't know enough. I had to sot down and teach myself many things (not the least of which was how to program in C#) and ask a lot a questions of many people. Strange as it seems, my job does not require that I be a hot shot developer or some form of code guru. Before joining Microsoft I developed solutions in java on WebSphere (yikes CrossWorlds!) and Sun (eek iPlanet!) platforms and I am still able to program...(read more)

ISO/IEC DIS 29500 (Formally known as Office Open XML)

2008-04-02T16:00:00Z

Office Open XML file format has been approved by ISO as a standard . I had a small peripheral part in this event and am looking back at that time wondering (and sort of hoping) that we will have that sort of excitement and life in other standards discussions in my lifetime. Standards have always been dry and dusty and in the realms of nerds like me - not so this submission. It took on a life of its own and, from my point of view, this made it a better submission and standard than it could ever have...(read more)