Health IT at the Crossroads
Today, there are scores, if not hundreds, of states and communities struggling to make the idea of a RHIO work. In most of the communities and states struggling to develop a RHIO, even the most modest accomplishments are threatened by the lack of a shared vision; unwillingness to set aside competitiveness and self-interest in pursuit of community benefit; little, if any, funding; and the lack of a viable business model.

The feasibility of implementing an electronic prescribing decision support system: a case study of an Australian public hospital
A case study using Sauer's (1993) Triangle of Dependencies Model was conducted in 2003 into the feasibility of implementing an EPDS system at an Australian public hospital in New South Wales. It was found not feasible to implement an EPDS at the hospital studied due to the legacy patient administration system, low availability of information technology on the wards, differing stakeholder views, legislation, and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW report recommendations.

Toward a National Framework for the Secondary Use of Health Data
The lack of coherent policies and practices for the secondary use of health data presents a significant impediment to the goal of strengthening the U.S. health system. A national framework for the secondary use of health data that includes a robust infrastructure of policies, standards, and best practices is needed to facilitate the broad and repeated collection, storage, aggregation, linkage, and transmission of health data with appropriate protections for legitimate secondary use. The report includes 5 key recommendations.

Global Health — The Gates–Buffett Effect
Yamada mentioned two new areas that are likely to become foci of giving: health information and human-resource development. The improvement of health information systems could enable developing countries to quantify health problems, helping them to set spending priorities, improve health care delivery, and measure the effects of interventions. Yamada recently saw an impressive model program in Manhica, Mozambique, created in cooperation with Spanish epidemiologists.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Launches Midwifery Online Community of Practice
We can use the system to reach isolated nurses, midwives and health workers who are desperate to communicate with others around the world," said Patricia Abbott, "E-mail is seeping into even the most remote of places — from Internet kiosks in the jungles of Peru and Bolivia, to the African bush, at the top of mountains and in neighborhoods without running water."

How U.S. Veteran's Affairs Hospitals Became The Best
The VA runs the largest integrated health-care system in the country, with more than 1,400 hospitals, clinics and nursing homes employing 14,800 doctors and 61,000 nurses. And by a number of measures, this government-managed health-care program--socialized medicine on a small scale--is beating the marketplace. For the sixth year in a row, VA hospitals last year scored higher than private facilities on the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Analysis of search in an online clinical laboratory manual
We show how a laboratory can improve its online handbook through insights gained by collecting information about each user's activity. We also discuss future applications for search-related technologies and the potential role of the online laboratory manual as the primary laboratory information portal.

The Value of Medical Spending in the United States, 1960–2000
From 1960 through 2000, the life expectancy for newborns increased by 6.97 years, lifetime medical spending adjusted for inflation increased by approximately $69,000, and the cost per year of life gained was $19,900. The cost increased from $7,400 per year of life gained in the 1970s to $36,300 in the 1990s. The average cost per year of life gained in 1960–2000 was approximately $31,600 at 15 years of age, $53,700 at 45 years of age, and $84,700 at 65 years of age.