New York opens-up records with Microsoft

Microsoft has launched the latest version of its Amalga data aggregation platform, which includes connectivity to its HealthVault personal health records platform.

The company has also announced that one of America’s most prominent hospitals will be using both technologies to open up its records, tests and other health information to patients.

New York Presbyterian Hospital unveiled myNYP.org at the annual Health Information and Management Systems Society’s annual conference in Chicago.

The system will allow patients to create a user-name and password protected account within which they can organise records and images, contacts and personal information.

Hospital data will be annotated with customised annotations to help patients understand medical tests and procedures and give them more information about normal and abnormal results. Users will also be able to organise health information about family members, with their consent.

“Increasingly, patients are taking charge of their own healthcare. MyNYP.org gives them the tools to accomplish this,” said Dr Steven Corwin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of New York Presbyterian Hospital.

“This technology not only gives patients access to their health information, but gives them complete control to add to it and share it with family, with other doctors and care providers; with anyone they choose.”

Microsoft bought the predecessor of Amalga – a product called Azyxxi – from Washington-based MedStar Health in 2006. An updated and re-named version was demonstrated at HIMSS in Florida last year.

The latest version of the ‘unified intelligence system’ includes a number of new features, including connection to HealthVault using the ASTM continuity of care record (CCR) industry standard, web functionality, and pre-configured modules for imaging, research and reporting.

Microsoft worked with New York Presbyterian Hospital on myNRP.org, which will initially be made available to cardiology and cardiac surgery patients at New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center.

“New York Presbyterian and Microsoft share a vision for patient-centred innovation in care delivery,” said Peter Neupert, corporate vice-president of Microsoft Health Solutions Group.

Neupert went on to flag-up the system’s potential to help deliver President Barack Obama’s pledge to get electronic health records to all Americans within five years, as part of his multi-billion pound stimulus package for the US economy.

“The introduction of myNYP.org demonstrates that we can innovate today – using technology already in place – to deliver on many of the goals targeted by the new administration’s stimulus spend,” he said.

Related article: Read more from HIMSS2009 in the HIMSS singing news analysis