First healthcare day for open source software at LinuxWorld
9 August 2006
Beaverton Ore, USA. The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global
consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux and open source
software, will host the first ever Healthcare Day at LinuxWorld San
Francisco on August 15, 2006. The event is in response to an expected
increase in healthcare IT spending in the near term and the growing role of
open source software in the healthcare industry.
According to a Rand Corp. study published earlier this year, IT budgets
average just two to three percent of overall healthcare expenditures, which
compares to 12-15 percent in other industries. As a result, healthcare IT
spending is expected to grow at a faster rate than overall IT, increasing
the appeal of open source software to managers who are being pressed to
ensure security of patient information and to drive consistency among
networks.
"Linux and open source software have become pervasive in vertical markets
such as retail and financial services. The healthcare market today is
positioned for major growth, and managers are in a position to take control
of their IT strategies and to have a significant impact on their
organizations and the overall healthcare industry with open source
technologies," said Stuart Cohen, CEO of OSDL.
Medsphere CEO Kenneth W. Kizer, MD MPH, will deliver the Day's keynote.
Medsphere is a leading provider of open source software for the healthcare
industry, including OpenVista, a portfolio of open source products and
services based on the highly successful VistA electronic medical-records
system used by the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.
"Linux and open source software are changing the way that healthcare IT
is created and delivered by today's major IT vendors," Dr. Kizer said. "The
cost savings and efficiencies inherent in the open source model are creating
significant market opportunities for vendors and developers involved in the
healthcare market."
OSDL Healthcare Day will bring together leaders in healthcare IT focused
on driving the use of open source software and standards to increase
efficiencies and interoperability among healthcare networks. The agenda
includes application demos, deployment case studies, interactive discussions
and a close look at the emerging impact Linux and open source software are
having on the next generation of healthcare.
"OSDL has been successful in facilitating collaboration and movement with
Linux on the desktop, in telecommunications and in the data center. We are
very happy to see they are leading the charge in healthcare where there is
wide open opportunity for advancement," said Joe Alexander, director of
strategy, Bull Products & Systems. "We're looking forward to looking at the
key issues, identifying opportunities and working with OSDL to move
healthcare IT forward."
More information:
www.linuxworldexpo.com
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