Category Archives: medical-open-source-development

SFLC: Software Defects are Life or Death Issue

Software Freedom Law Center has announced a paper on the dangers of closed-source medical devices. “…The SFLC’s paper proposes a new solution to the software liability nightmare confronting the medical device field: requiring manufacturers of IMDs to make source code auditable. Research indicates that software transparency would make the devices less vulnerable to malicious hackers and security breaches and the public less vulnerable to negligence by the corporations that sell them…”

GT.M Comes of Age While VistA Rumbles

Fidelity Information Services Free/Open Source GT.M Mumps database is gaining traction outside of private-sector Veterans Affairs VistA Electronic Health Record. Veterans Affairs VistA development in the private sector is proceeding at a furious rate. Companies such as M/Gateway, Astronaut (owned by the same conspiracy that owns Linux Medical News) Medsphere, DSS and others are making announcement after announcement of new development in the Veterans Affairs VistA Electronic Health Record or closely related space.

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FT: Enabling Open Core

Fred Trotter writes: “For VA VistA we have a conundrum, the originator of the code, the US government, has left the code basically licenseless. I believe this means that the choice if preferred license should be up to the most substantial third-party developers. I believe that the most substantial way to make VistA better is to make contributions that make further development easier. MUMPS is a great language but it makes VA VistA inaccessible to most programmers. Given that I believe the most significant third-party contributions to VA VistA are (in no particular order):

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Musings on Mark Shuttleworth interview that may inform this community

This is an interview with Ubuntu’s Mark Shuttleworth that talks about resource allocation in an open source environment. I am curious about how he handles and solves things because I have personally encountered similar problems and wondered about how others
solve the volunteer/anarchy vs. order/resources/damned if you do, damned if you don’t problems attendant with Free/Open Source.

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Only one week left to register for FOSS Health 09 at earlybird rates

This is the last week to register for FOSS Health 09 for the early-bird rate! It costs only $60 to register now, but it will change to $250 for later registration. This rate is specifically intended so that individual community members can attend cheaply. This conference will feature the who’s who of Open Source Health software including

  • WorldVistA (EHR)
  • MOSS – Misys Open Source Software
  • OpenMRS (EHR)
  • ClearHealth (EHR)
  • OpenClinica (Clinical Research)
  • Mirth – WebReach (HL7 router!)
  • OpenVistA -Medsphere (EHR)
  • OpenVistA -Medsphere (EHR)

OpenSource LIS – Laboratory Information System

OpenELIS is a robust Enterprise Laboratory Information System built around an extensible and scalable framework. OpenELIS is designed and developed through the collaborative efforts of Public Health Laboratories to accommodate business processes that are common to all public health laboratories; encompassing clinical, environmental, newborn screening, and animal testing.

The goal of the OpenELIS team is to develop a state of the art system that is economically sustainable by reducing both initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs. By using an open source approach, we ensure that the project will continue to evolve and meet the changing needs of the community.

Sun’s Open Source Curing Health Care Woes

President and COO of Sun Federal Bill Vass’ Weblog is here.

Once the Inaugural celebrations are finished, the new Obama Administration promises to hit the ground running on a variety of critical programs. Near the top of the list is eHealth reform with more than $20 billion proposed in President Obama’s massive stimulus package.

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Demonstrating Open-Source Healthcare Solutions (DOHCS) 2009 Conference

THIRD ANNUAL DEMONSTRATING OPEN-SOURCE HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS (DOHCS) CONFERENCE LAUNCHES ANNUAL LINUX GATHERING

Lend Your Voice to this Crucial Discussion as America Transitions to a New Era

Arguably, the unique elements of the 2008/2009 recession combined with a change in administration and governing philosophy constitute a unique historical moment as demonstrated by ongoing events:

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