A Vision of the e-HIM™ Future
The future state of health information is electronic, consumer-centered, comprehensive, longitudinal, accessible, and credible. It will be difficult to attain the future vision if investments are made only in technology. Equal or greater attention must be paid to the management of data contained within the electronic technologies. The task force noted that in this future state, data sharing and exchange would not be constrained by vendor-specific technology requirements. Further, the vision assumes the establishment and implementation of uniform health data standards and data conceptual models that allow for connectivity of appropriate systems across vendor platforms and applications.

14th Annual Physician-Computer Connection Symposium
A 2 1/2 day Symposium at the Rancho Bernardo Inn -- San Diego, California -- July 20 - 22, 2005

What is your body trying to tell you?
These are 'early warning signs' that could be resolved with simple changes to diet or lifestyle. Many of these nutritional deficiencies or imbalances, if left, could result in illness or serious disease.

World Health Assembly concludes: adopts key resolutions affecting global public health
Noting the potential impact of advances in information and communication technologies, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution encouraging more work on eHealth. eHealth is the cost-effective and secure use of information and communication technologies in support of health and health-related fields, including health-care services, health surveillance, health literature, and health education. The resolution urges Member States to endeavour to reach communities, including vulnerable groups, with eHealth services, and requests the WHO Director-General to continue the expansion of mechanisms such as the Health Academy, which promote health awareness and healthy lifestyles through eLearning.

Delving into Computer-assisted Coding (AHIMA Practice Brief)
This practice brief discusses computerized tools available to automate the assignment of certain medical or surgical codes (ICD-9-CM and CPT/HCPCS) from clinical documentation that are traditionally assigned by coding or HIM professionals as well as clinical providers. It also outlines the driving forces that are shaping the current and future applications of this technology, examines application of the technology, and provides guidance about the steps necessary to position coding professionals for the coming coding revolution.

Semantic Web Interest Grows
Partners Healthcare in Boston is using Semantic Web standards such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF) to help make electronic medical record (EMR) patient data such as age, medical history, and family history available to computer models. Having the data in RDF format allows Partners to use what is called the Semantic Web Rules Language (SWRL) to write decision support rules for treatments or selecting patients for trials.

What is patientINFORM?
patientINFORM is a free online service that provides patients and their caregivers access to some of the most up-to-date, reliable and important research available about the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases. During a pilot phase, patientINFORM is initially focusing on three diseases – cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

DNA technique protects against 'evil' emails
A technique originally designed to analyse DNA sequences is the latest weapon in the war against spam. An algorithm named Chung-Kwei (after a feng-shui talisman that protects the home against evil spirits) can catch nearly 97 per cent of spam.

Brain downloads 'possible by 2050'
IBM's BlueGene computer can already perform 70.72 trillion calculations a second and Pearson said the next computing goal was to replicate consciousness. "We're already looking at how you might structure a computer that could become conscious. Consciousness is just another sense, effectively, and that's what we're trying to design in computer." But Pearson admitted that the consequences of advancing technologies needed to be considered carefully. "You need a complete global debate," he said. "Whether we should be building machines as smart as people is a really big one."