Mayo and Microsoft to Collaborate on Consumer Health Management Tools
Check out the press release from the Mayo Clinic:
ROCHESTER, Minn., and REDMOND, Wash. — Mayo Clinic Health Solutions and Microsoft Corporation’s Health Solutions Group announced today that they have entered into a strategic agreement to collaboratively develop tools that will empower people to manage their health and become engaged partners with their providers in a new model of health care.
As leaders in their respective industries, both organizations recognize the potential for technology solutions to help bridge the gaps in the health care system, to facilitate closer patient-to-physician connections, and to allow patients and consumers to better manage their health and wellness information. The collaboration will benefit from Microsoft’s significant technology expertise and Mayo Clinic’s experience in health care.
The organizations hope to announce further details of the project before the end of 2008.
“We are committed to finding new technology solutions that put the patient and consumer in control,” says Brooks Edwards, M.D., chief medical officer, Mayo Clinic Health Solutions. “Our work with Microsoft is an exciting opportunity to create tools that empower patients to be in the very center of their own health care environment.”
“Consumers demand and deserve tools that make their lives easier, facilitate communication, and help them take action to manage their health,” says Peter Neupert, corporate vice president, Microsoft Health Solutions Group. “Building on the Microsoft HealthVault platform, our groups are committed to providing individuals with solutions that are dynamic, secure, and focused on the needs of the user, in order to effectively improve health and well-being.”
Wow. Mayo’s name would do a lot to lend respectability to Microsoft’s HealthVault efforts. I’ll be very interested in hearing details about what each organization will bring to their collaborative projects.
I’ll also be interested to know if Mayo is wise enough to bring into these efforts their in-house experts on consumer health information tools- they have great patient libraries and librarians.
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