[Dclug] Interesting article on Open Source in medical systems

[Crawford Rainwater]

----- dclug-request at calypso.tux.org wrote:
> Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:19:47 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Przemek Klosowski <przemek at jazz.ncnr.nist.gov>
> Subject: [Dclug] Interesting article on Open Source in medical systems
>
> Check out this article on on Open Source in medical systems:
>
>   http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2009/0907.longman.html
>
> The author points out the advantages of Open Source, and makes a
> good case for its use in the modernization of the US health care.
>
>

Actually there are quite a few FOSS oriented EMR/EHR (electronic medical/health record) system groups out there.  One of the biggest and "oldest" (~25 years) is based off of the VA Hospitals system called VistA (not to be confused with M$'s and yes, the VA had the name before M$) which has meetings once a year around the DC area typically.  

On a side note, semi-political, there is also some stimulus funding for EMR/EHR implementations out there currently.  There is also pending funding for VistA based ones as well by Senator Rockefeller.

If there are folks interested in knowing more, feel free to drop me a note.  I get this list in Digest format, so pardon any delays in responding in advance.

FWIW.

--- Crawford