Personal Health Records

Ever since my involvement with Phase Forward, I have been intrigued by the possibilities of introducing information technology across the health care world. One of the hot topics in this arena right now is the use of Personal Health Records (PHRs).

I am speaking on a panel about business models for PHRs at the '07 Personally Controlled Health Records Infrastructure Conference talking place today and tomorrow. I attended last year's first conference and found myself rubbing shoulders with luminaries from government (HHS, VA, CDC), academia, startups, large employers (WalMart, BP, Intel), technology providers (GOOG, MSFT, YHOO, INTU) and more. There was then, and even more so now (vis Dossia), a feeling that PHRs really can deliver value for all players in the health care system.

The trouble is that there is no clear business model that has emerged. The work on PatientSite at BIDMC, Healthvault from Microsoft, and Dossia illustrate three of many disparate approaches, any one or more of which may take root and grow well.

I am scooping myself by previewing my panel presentation and analysis of the 26 (or more) possible economic models that I have distilled from my exposure to the field thus far... and I expect to hear about more at the conference this year. I will share my thoughts of the conference and the panel later this week.

Goodbye multitasking

The Atlantic Monthly recently ran an article called "The Autumn of the Multitaskers", by Walter Kern (subscription may be required to read the article). He talks about his own conversion from multi-tasking to single-tasking as his car flew through the air towards a telegraph pole as a result of trying to look at a picture sent by his girl friend to his cell phone while driving. He lived to tell the tale, but only tells that tale when he is not doing anything else.

Kern quotes Publilius Syrus, a first century B.C.E. Roman slave: "To do two things at once is to do neither." This old wisdom seems to stand up to modern research. Kern notes that neurologists are finding multi-tasking is bad for the tasks you are doing all at once, and actually bad for your brain, too.

I for one plan to stop multi-tasking, or at least I plan to stop multi-tasking when I am doing something else, anyway.

Brits on Bikes 1955

Someone pointed me to a delightful movie made by British Rail in 1955 to promote day trips for cyclists to get out of London and enjoy cycling in the British countryside. (If you sent this to me, please remind me by posting a comment - I hate not to attribute my sources!) It is in two parts, below.






If your viewer does not show the actual embedded videos, here are the links to part one and part two.

Don't Panic...

I did get out for a ride on Sunday (feels so long ago now)... but first I had to deal with a flat rear tube that had magically appeared since my previous outing. This was no small thing for someone who has only once before had to deal with a flat on my own. The fact it was on the rear wheel was an extra hassle, because of navigating the derailleur mechanism when removing and replacing the wheel.

However, with "Don't Panic..." ringing in my ear (thank you Peter Jones), I happily set about my task, and was able to get going after just a few minutes (well maybe 20). Luckily this all happened at home so I had my trusty stand pump (much easier to get to 120 psi than with my road pump).

I was only planning a short ride and happily went out to Weston and back (about 15 miles), enjoying my sense of mechanical (pneumatic?) mastery, and the fun of cycling in the fall.