Peer to peer healthcare-- resources and personal reflections

The internet makes it possible for any of us to proactively manage health problems through research. We can locate facts, statistics, opinion, advice, experiences of others experiencing similar health problems, and professional and practitioner research.However, getting to a satisfactory solution or to the point where I can formulate possible solutions or questions to discuss with a health professional can be very time-consuming. And in instances where research turns up innovative or non-traditional approaches to treatment, for example, dilemmas of choice, access, cost, trust and communication can make for a very frustrating experience.

Data Protection Day: Addressing the challenges of globalization and technology

The ability to create, exchange, store and use information ubiquitously is dynamically changing business, social, healthcare and political landscapes worldwide, concurrently creating opportunities for economic and health benefit, as well as threats to individual privacy, national security and intellectual property rights. The challenge is how to address data protection needs without stifling innovation. A high level meeting was held by the Council of Europe and the European Commission on January 28, 2011, the 30th anniversary of the Council of Europe Convention 108, addressing the challenges of globalization and technology in the context of data protection. This post points to resources for further study of this topic.

The what, why and how of implementing Personal Healh Record Systems

The fledgling, but rapidly growing Personal Health Record (PHR) systems market currently has over 200 vendors, so there is a high degree of variability in both the nature and scope of product offerings. This blog post highlights 2 reports that can help in understanding what is available, what is possible, how to make the choice between alternative systems, and the value proposition in implementing a PHR system.

Exciting Development in Open Access Publishing: SpringerOpen

Exciting news about open access information resources in STM! SpringerOpen, a new series of open access journals that will span all STM disciplines. Articles published in SpringerOpen journals will be freely and immediately accessible online, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.