HIMSS Launches New CPOE Wiki

The HIMSS CPOE Wiki is a valuable resource with Computerized Provider Order Entry recognized as a vital component to improve healthcare delivery and achieve meaningful use

CHICAGO (November 10, 2010) – Streamlining the search for CPOE information and insight, the new HIMSS CPOE Wiki brings data, documents and valuable guidelines on meeting and exceeding meaningful use into one location. The HIMSS Enterprise CPOE Workgroup developed the wiki with the leadership of workgroup Chair Paul Kleeberg, MD, Clinical Director for Minnesota and North Dakota REC REACH.

“The workgroup launched the wiki to broaden use and understanding of CPOE, a health IT application with continued growth and relevance to electronic health record system implementations,” said Dr. Kleeberg. “Physicians, nurses, implementation staff, pharmacists and anyone supporting the adoption and use of CPOE can find and contribute valuable information resources on the wiki.”

Using Web 2.0 to Combat Swine Flu

Swine flu is hitting a country that has tremendous technology resources. As healthcare professionals, how can we leverage existing Web 2.0 resources such as wikis, RSS feeds, blogs, forums, and other social networks to battle this threatening epidemic? On Twitter, you can find many discussions related to swine flu. The same is going on at Sermo. Since more doctors are equipped with mobile communication devices such as iPhones, BlackBerrys, Treos, and other smartphones, there may be an opportunity to send mass messages to healthcare professionals who are constantly connected. The old days of simple alphanumeric pagers are starting to fade.

50% of Physicians are using Wikipedia

According to a study performed by Manhattan Research, almost 50% of physicians are going to Wikipedia to view health condition information. Why? Because they use search engines like Google to look up information about diseases and various conditions. Isn't it amazing how we rely on Internet search engines for information? The Manhattan Research study, titled Taking the Pulse, surveyed physicians during the first quarter of 2009.

Health and Beauty Products Online

Where do you shop for health and beauty products? I'm a big fan of online shopping and I even purchase large items through the Internet. I recently purchased a new car and I did all my price comparisons online and got the best price via e-mail by corresponding with several dealers in the area. When it comes to health and beauty products, it's important to know what other people think about certain products. This is where social networking and Web 2.0 can really change the way you learn about things before you shop.

Have you ever used a wiki? You've probably heard of Wikipedia. Well, take that to the next level - the shopping level. Looking for bath and body products? Cosmetics? Don't get stuck with counterfeits. Maybe you want to change your look and you need some new hair care. If you want to get input from other consumers and users, then you may want to visit ShopWiki for a different online shopping experience. Wouldn't it be great if you could find doctors and hospitals like that?

Medpedia Medical Wiki

The Medpedia medical wiki project is now live and active. Of course, it's much more than a wiki. Let's see what type of participation we get on this site. Will this be medical social networking at its best?

Medpedia: Another Medical Wiki?

Is the Medpedia project yet another medical wiki? Or will this be something different? There are already several medical wikis out there.

Medpedia is being developed in association with four major medical universities: Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the University of Michigan.

Will this be Web 2.0 at its best? Will medical wikis serve as the primary source of medical information for healthcare professionals and consumers? Since anyone can contribue to wikis, how will the immense volume of information be monitored and controlled?

Web 2.0

The Internet has revolutionized information access. I remember the days of the old Mozilla browser and when most people used Netscape. Then came the days of dial-up modems and 14.4 speeds. The Internet is changing rapidly and the next generation of the Web is Web 2.0.

According to Tim O'Reilly, "Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform."

If you get a chance, make sure to explore various RSS feeds, wikis, blogs, and social networking sites. These sites represent the next generation of the WWW. Get familiar with them so that you can leverage the potential that Web 2.0 has to offer.