Latest News

2012 Open Source Think Tank Conference Exec Summary Released

The much awaited report on the 2012 Open Source Think Tank conference in Napa, CA has just been released. The Executive Summary of the report is available here. This report is of great significance as a significant portion of this year's Think Tank was focused on the open source strategy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Read More »

OSEHRA 2012 Issues Call for Papers for First Annual Open Source EHR Summit & Workshop [Updated]

The Open Source Electronic Health Records Agent (OSEHRA) has just issued a call for papers for the upcoming First Annual Open Source EHR Summit & Workshop that will be held October 17 and 18, 2012, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. [Update: Submission deadline has been extended to August 31st] 

Read More »

Raxa - Open source EMR software for rural healthcare systems

Many people in this world do not have ready access to healthcare providers and have little or no control over their personal health information.  The few who do have access are starting to see the potential benefits of using information technology (IT) like electronic medical record (EMR) system to improve their own health. These systems offer an opportunity to reduce healthcare costs while simultaneously improving quality of care. This is particularly true of Raxa, an 'open source' EMR project based in India. Read More »

Presidential Innovation Fellow Position Created for 'Blue Button' Initiative

The extraordinary success of the 'Blue Button' initiative has led Steve Van Roekel, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the U.S. government, and Todd Park, Chief Technical Officer (CTO), to create a Presidential Innovation Fellow position that will take the lead in driving a “game-changing project” that will take Blue Button to the next level. Blue Button is now being used by nearly one million veterans to gain access to their medical records and the solution is rapidly expanding to the private sector.

Read More »

FrontlineSMS V2.0: A Powerful Tool for Achieving Positive Social Change and Health Improvement in Developing Countries

Good news from the software sector: FrontlineSMS Version 2 is here at last! Two years in the making, the updated version is simpler, more intuitive, and easier to utilize. It also adapts more easily to individual needs and systems, and has already met an enthusiastic response from the SMS community. And with all it has to offer, the new software should prove a valuable contribution in the effort to achieve positive social change in developing countries around the world. Read More »

Supreme Court upholds Affordable Healthcare Act

Read the actual Supreme Court's Decision Read More »

Internal Memo from CIO Roger Baker Sets Oct. 1 Deadline for Open Source Transition at VA

Open Health News has just obtained a copy of an internal memo sent by VA CIO Roger Baker to all the "Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries and other Key Officials," of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he sets a deadline of October 1, 2012 to implement the VA's open source initiative for VistA.

Read More »

Open Source Model Needed to Rein-In "Unsustainable" Health IT Expenditures, Says Frost & Sullivan

"Healthcare expenditure is reaching unsustainable levels on a global scale" according to the international consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. In a strongly worded press release, Frost & Sullivan says that "there is an urgent need for sustainable business models that can curb expenditure and promote better healthcare delivery." Frost & Sullivan concludes in a recently released analysis that the only way to end these "spiraling expenditure[s]" is to shift "from traditional to newer, more sustainable business models." The analysis specifically recommends a shift to open source as well as software as a service (SaaS), Managed Services, and the Freemium business models.

Read More »

Open Source Hardware: Exploring New Territory

As momentum from the open source culture continues to snowball, it acquires new categories—the newest component being open hardware. While open hardware lacks the benefit of a unified movement and faces legal obstacles, it is based upon the same principles that made open source software a soaring success. It also promises to effect positive change in many different fields, including (to name just two) farming and healthcare. Read More »

VA To Invest Billions in Open Source Transition

The open source strategy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was the focus of the recent Open Source Think Tank Conference in Napa, California held April 12-14. This conference, sponsored by the Olliance Group and now on its 7th year, has become one of the premier open source gatherings in the world. Top IT leaders of the VA came to the conference to ask for the advice of the open source community in finalizing the VA's strategy for the future of its world-class electronic health record (EHR) system, VistA.

Read More »