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Reports, articles, and other resources
Princeton, N.J.—The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today kicked off a landmark program to design and test bold ideas for how consumers can use information technology to better manage their health and navigate the health care system. Project HealthDesign: Rethinking the Power and Potential of Personal Health Records, a $4.1 million initiative, has selected eight multidisciplinary teams that will build new tools that advance the field of personal health record (PHR) systems. Grant teams will work collaboratively to design and test a suite of PHR applications that can be built upon a common platform to help people better meet their health care needs in an integrated fashion. Such PHR tools may remind a patient to take medications, provide tailored decision prompts to help people adhere to treatment regimens for diabetes or pain therapy, or transmit data to providers—such as blood pressure readings or exercise levels—that are collected from patient self-testing and biomonitoring devices in the home. "It's not just the wider use of personal health records or online access to the data they store that is so revolutionary," said Stephen Downs, S.M., RWJF senior program officer and deputy director of the Health Group. "Project HealthDesign is challenging the PHR field to focus on the potential for patients, providers and caregivers to use this information to improve their health. The design of the systems over which this information flows is critical, and that is why we’re excited to support the efforts of these technology pioneers to develop the next generation of PHR systems."
New York, NY– "Connecting for Health applauds Secretary Leavitt for moving the nation much closer to the day when patients and medical professionals will be able to exchange potentially lifesaving health information in a secure and private manner. By selecting Connecting for Health’s three community electronic health information exchange to serve as a prototype for the nation, the Secretary has acknowledged the major contribution made to health information technology by the hundreds of organizations involved in Connecting for Health. With the support of the federal government, Connecting for Health will help deliver what the American people want -- a fully connected health care system in the 21st century." - Carol Diamond, M.D., Managing Director, Markle Foundation; Chair, Connecting for Health Background Michael O. Leavitt, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced the award of a contract today to the Connecting for Health team to make its three-community health information exchange a prototype for nationwide health information exchange. The Secretary also awarded 3 other related contracts today to develop the nationwide electronic exchange of health information.
Advances in information technology over the past decade have stirred the creative spirit of a generation and dramatically changed our everyday lives. As we enter the 21st century, the Internet and information technology (IT) continue to capture our imagination, holding out a future filled with possibilities that go far beyond the transformations we have already witnessed in business, education and consumer choice. Thispaper includes an introduction letter by Zoe Baird andreports on Health and National Security, the Markle Foundation'stwo main initiatives for the year 2004.
Introduction This paper is a summary of the Markle Foundation’s work in supporting the development of a telemedicine clinic in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, which was launched in April of 2003. It includes an overview of the project, a discussion of lessons learned and applied thus far, and suggestions for future work.
Preface How many Chinese people are going online? What are they doing on the Internet? What is the social impact of the growing Internet use in China? With more and more people paying attention to the development of the Internet in China, such specific questions are being frequently asked. However, little empirical research has been conducted in this field. Currently, one of the blind spots in the field and the most mutable factor is the small cities. The idea of doing research on small cities started from early 2001 when Jim Steinberg, who was senior advisor for the Markle Foundation at the time, and Nina Hachigian, visited Nanhai, which is a model of e-government in China. Thanks to the financial support from the Markle Foundation and the advice from Stefaan Verhulst, the CASS Internet research1 can be continued and expanded to the small cities.
Overview Participants in Connecting for Health.A Public-Private Collaborative were challenged at their initial meeting in September of 2002 to agree within nine months on a set of clinical data standards and to put into motion a series of actions designed to accelerate the adoption of those standards. By explicitly characterizing the process as a search for workable answers, the leaders of the Collaborative recognized that their primary role was neither to exhort nor to report. Instead, the most pressing task was to catalyze specific actions on a national scale that would rapidly clear the way for an interconnected, electronic health information infrastructure. In pursuing this objective, the Collaborative focused on three key areas: • Accelerating the rate of adoption of national clinical data standards in order to facilitate true interoperability. This was the task of the Data Standards Working Group. • Identifying practical strategies and solutions for ensuring the secure and private transmission of medical information. This was the task of the Privacy and Security Working Group. • Actively working to understand what consumers will need and expect from an interconnected health information system. This was the task of the Personal Health Working Group. In addition, the members of this Steering Group were asked to articulate a vision for the Collaborative’s activities; provide strategic direction and oversight of the three Working Groups; and actively undertake efforts to further the Collaborative's goals. The results of the activities of the Steering Group and the recommendations from the Working Groups are presented in the short summaries that follow. Each of the Working Groups has also authored a paper that more fully describes its work.
Zoë Baird writes on the G8 Summit, the final report card on the DOT Task Force, and two Markle initiatives (Global Digital Opportunity Initiative and Partnership for Global Policy Participation) intended to help translate G8's goals into action.
Topics include: the current environment, a critical time to invest in meeting public needs, defining Markle's role, public engagement through interactive technologies, Policy for a Networked Society, Interactive Media for Children, Information Technologies for Better Health, the Markle Opportunity Fund, and our approach.
