28 February 2008

At the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2008 Conference and Exhibition, Microsoft showcased a variety of new solutions designed specifically for health providers, caregivers and patients, as well as partner and customer success stories, including:

Microsoft HealthVault platform. Microsoft and its healthcare industry partners demonstrated new tools built on the Microsoft HealthVault platform to improve patient-provider interactions, show connectivity with existing clinical electronic medical record systems and health and wellness devices, and provide quick access to accurate patient information.

Amalga Family of Health Enterprise Systems. These solutions from Microsoft’s new portfolio of enterprise-class health information systems were publicly demonstrated for the first time: Microsoft Amalga, allows hospitals to unlock data sitting in isolated clinical, financial and administrative systems; Microsoft Amalga Hospital Information System (HIS) is a fully integrated hospital information system designed for emerging markets; and Microsoft Amalga RIS/PACS, available as a stand-alone system as well as an integrated component of Amalga HIS.

Cerner MyStation. This is a recent collaborative development effort between Spectrum Health, Cerner and Microsoft. The MyStation system empowers patients to take an active role in their care. The entertainment component of the system, powered by Microsoft Windows Media Center and Xbox 360, provides a positive diversion for patients, allowing them to listen to music, play video games and watch movies or live TV.

Caregiver collaboration. Microsoft unified communications technologies can reduce medical errors, improve quality care delivery and safety, and increase productivity for health organisations. These solutions provide care team members with quick access to information and to each other through a familiar interface that is available on a variety of devices and platforms.