caring

Microsoft is giving a booster shot to its Health Solutions Group, announcing on Monday plans to acquire clinical workflow software developer Global Care Solutions.

The acquisition of Global Care Solutions, based in Bangkok, Thailand, is designed to enhance the management of clinical workflow, medical records, billing and regulatory compliance at hospitals and other medical facilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Global Care worked with Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital to design its system, which serves more than 1.2 million patients a year from nearly 200 countries. The hospital uses Global Care's system to manage scheduling and … Read more

The results of a fifteen-month study accessing the time to patch software associated with electronic health record (EHR) systems were published today by the eHealth Vulnerability Reporting Program. The program is a collaboration of health care industry organizations, technology companies and security professionals that is attempting to establish best practices within the emerging field of electronic health records in the adoption and reliance of eHealth systems, including electronic medical records (EMR), picture archiving and communication system (PACS), and medical devices. The 39-page report found much room for improvement.

It's one thing to have your credit card information compromised--that can … Read more

Why be a fish swimming upstream?

Keith Perry, CEO of Sears Methodist Retirement Services of Texas, didn't want to be that fish.

Because approximately 90 percent of seniors want to remain in their home, Perry questioned the merits of increasing the number of retirement centers, which cost about $55 million each.

"Maybe I have this all wrong," Perry recounted during a panel discussion on how senior-service providers are changing their business models. The panel, which met on Monday, was part of the fourth annual Healthcare Unbound conference under way this week in San Francisco.

And, so, 18 … Read more

Seven months after releasing the final version of Windows Live OneCare 1.5, Microsoft is today offering a Windows Live OneCare 2.0 beta for public testing. The existing Windows Live OnceCare 1.5 release includes sections for Protection Plus (which handles threats and malware), Performance Plus, and Backup and Restore. The new release adds home networking tools to the mix.

Realizing that most home networks have an average of 2.5 computers, a typical OneCare license allows installation on three separate PCs. OneCare 2.0 adds the ability to monitor the security of two additional PCs from one network … Read more

It's just one man's opinion, but I always like to hear what the end customer thinks about technology. While I'm not a big believer in the Linux desktop (at least, as a direct competitor to OS X and Windows in the US/EMEA enterprise market), I'm glad to see SUSE Linux Desktop pass the test with the CIO of CareGroup:

...Halamka found in SUSE a version of the Linux operating system that didn?t crash or lock up once during the month he used it; that booted quickly (within 30 seconds); that was easy enough to … Read more

Power Downloader knows that regular maintenance for his PC is crucial to his continued success as an Internet superhero. If his computer is not in top working condition when on the tail of some infamous spammer, it can mean the difference between life and death. While the stakes might be higher for Power Downloader, he also knows that everyone should perform routine maintenance if they want their computer to continue working properly.

Though there are several programs available to fix specific problems, Power Downloader decided that a one-program solution might be the most convenient way to keep his system in tip-top shape. After some quick research at Download.com, Power found Advanced WindowsCare Personal edition.… Read more

After finishing dead last in a comparative antivirus test, Microsoft Windows Live OneCare recently garnered some positive press. The latest tests performed by AV-Comparatives.org seem to show an improvement, with OneCare moving up two places. While OneCare is certified by West Coast Labs and ICSA, it is the competitive independent antivirus testing results that mean more in terms of how well a product performs in the real world against real malware. Thus, some might argue that things are looking up for the nascent Redmond antimalware team.

That's until you look closer at the tests. AV-Comparatives performed two different … Read more

CORONADO, Calif.--It's not a vacation home in Santa Barbara, but the best thing that people can leave to their children might just be a DNA map.

At least, that's what Ryan Phelan, founder and CEO of DNA Direct, thinks about her company's services. Phelan told attendees at the Future in Review conference that people who are taking several different prescription drugs or have a family history of cancer should consider looking into their genetic profile.

DNA Direct offers people a chance to send in a DNA sample (a cotton swab to the inside of the cheek) … Read more

Just got passed an invitation to yet another social networking site called Goodreads. My first impression is that it's Last.FM for books.

There's a database of books I can browse or search through and rate on a scale of one to five stars. So far I've made it through 229 of all the books I've ever read. How did I have time? Rafe Needleman asked me to write this blog posting, and therefore it became "work."