Introduction to Open Source for Health Care
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There is some very good information in this white-paper, particularly for members of the health care industry. But there is also some great information for those who are beginners to open source in general.
Of particular interest is the last part of section IV, "Open Source Software is More than Source Code," which mentions many of the less talked about reasons why open-source is particularly well suited to health care, for example the shared political philosophy between OS and health care (the sharing of innovation is more important than protecting innovation as intelectual property), and a software development model that emphasized collaboration and peer review (something that is very prevalent in medical research).
Section V, "How Open Source Software Differs from Other Software," should be interesting to people outside of the health industry, as should Appendix C, which neatly summarizes and compares the four major open source licences.
The white-paper can be downloaded as a PDF file from this page: http://www.chcf.org/topics/view.cfm?itemid=119091
From the above link: "As information technology in the health care industry evolves from an administrative tool for billing and bookkeeping to a clinical tool for improving the quality and efficiency of health care, the scope of information sharing is expanding beyond the walls of individual institutions. Achieving this level of integration will require that software models overcome a host of technical obstacles, and that they are accessible, affordable, and widely supported.
This report examines the development and distribution of open source software, a well-established software development model—and a potential solution to the looming challenges of integration—characterized by collaboration among individuals and organizations with common interests, sharing intellectual property, and a commitment to standards.
It explores open source basics, including the advantages open source presents, and how it works. The report also offers industry perspectives, explores the potential impact on EMR systems and regional health information networks, and compares open source to traditional, proprietary software.
While not heralding the end of commercial software vendors, the report concludes that conditions are ripe for open source solutions to take root in health care, and that it will likely become the standard for capturing, sharing, and managing patient information to support quality care. It also notes that health care businesses have the opportunity to take the lead and drive the shift to this new model."
