Sun awarded ‘tactical’ NHS desktop contract
The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) has concluded an evaluation project with Sun Microsystems over the potential use of Sun’s open-source Java Desktop System within the NHS as an alternative to Microsoft. E-Health Insider can exclusively reveal that NPfIT “has concluded that the Java Desktop System, which runs on the Linux operating system, represents a […]
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Government says open source not a ‘hype bubble’
The Office of the e-Envoy has issued an updated consultation paper on the use of open source software (OSS) by the UK Government, including the NHS. The update is the first in two years on the Government’s position on the use of open source. Significantly the consultation paper categorically states that OSS is not a […]
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Full Clinician Involvement Key to Success – Reader Comment
In response to the recent debate in E-Health Insider about whether PDAs or tablet PCs offer the best device to provide to front line clinicians, Sue Wilson head of IM&T (acute services) at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, stresses that it is not the choice of device but involvement of clinicians that counts: I agree […]
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Tablet PC Vs PDA – The Debate Continues (Part 3)
Over the past month E-Health Insider readers have debated the relative merits of PDAs and Tablet PCs in healthcare. This week we publish two further perspectives, in a debate that appears more timely than ever with the announcement of the merger between iSoft and Torex. Which device will the new merged health IT giant be […]
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PDAs or Tablet PCs? – The debate continues…
Last week Dr Andrew Harrison wrote about his experience of using a Tablet PC on the wards – The Tablet PC on Test . In response Steve Garrington, CEO of Torex Health, argued the case in favour of PDAs as the best mobile devices for clinicians – Open Source – Tablet PCs wrong for Doctors […]
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Open Source: Tablet PCs Wrong for Doctors – Steve Garrington, CEO Torex Health
Last week hospital doctor, Andrew Harrison, shared his experience of testing a Tablet PC on the wards. Steve Garrington, chief executive of Torex Health, uses our Open Source column to respond and argues the case for PDAs rather than Tablet PCs for clinicians. I found Andrew Harrison’s piece on his testing of a Tablet PC […]
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AAFP Explores Open-Source EHR
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is considering developing and selling low-cost "open-source" electronic medical records (EMR) software to provide its members with access to low-cost electronic record systems. According to a report in American Medical News, published by the American Medical Association, the AAFP will submit a business plan to its board on […]
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Australia Funds Research into Open Source EHR
The Australian Government has taken another step towards its plan to introduce a ‘lifetime’ electronic health record system following the award of a research and development contract to use open-source technology to make patient health records available on the internet. The R&D contract was awarded to the Distributed Systems Technology Centre (DSTC), and partners, Ocean […]
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Consultation on Open Source Software (OSS) Strategy Nears End
The NHS information Authority has published a reminder that the consultation period for the Office of the e-Envoy’s draft Government Policy on Open Source Software (OSS) is drawing to a close. The closing date for consultation on the draft policy document, first published in December 2001, is 12 March 2002. This policy will apply to NHS […]
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UK Government Warms to Open Source Software
The Cabinet Office has published a consultation paper on use of Open Source Software (OSS) within the UK Government sector –- including the NHS — that concludes the development of OSS represents a fundamental change in the software market. OSS, software whose source code is openly published, is usually available at no charge, and is […]
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