Speaking of healthcare data, is Microsoft the elephant in the room?
In a previous blog I discussed the need for a uniformed data structure in healthcare. The concept got me thinking about how to accomplish such a monumental task, and make no mistake, it would be a monumental task. There aren’t many “people” out there that could develop the hardware and software infrastructure solid enough to handle the needs of the complex data stream coming out of the healthcare industry. Then I noticed a trend at a lot of the web sites that I frequent: Microsoft has slowly, and quietly, been positioning itself to jump into the healthcare market. Consider the following: • Microsoft has been plowing forward with their cloud and Software-as-a-Service model: Azure Platform, Office Live, etc. • Microsoft is offering American scientific researchers free access to their new Window’s Azure platform. This should allow centralized data collection for scientists to collaborate on research projects. • HealthVault is one of the key players in the personal healthcare record (PHR)
