[Med-privacy] another on HealthVault

[peter marshall]

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October 5, 2007

Microsoft Offers System to Track Health Records
By STEVE LOHR


Microsoft is starting its long-anticipated drive into the consumer=20
health care market by offering free personal health records on the Web=20=

and pursuing a strategy that borrows from the company=92s successful=20
formula in personal computer software.

The venture by Microsoft, which is called HealthVault and was announced=20=

yesterday in Washington, comes after two years spent building a team,=20
expertise and technology. In recent months, Microsoft managers have met=20=

with many potential partners, including hospitals, disease-prevention=20
organizations and health care companies.

The organizations that have signed up for HealthVault projects with=20
Microsoft include the American Heart Association, Johnson & Johnson=20
LifeScan, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and MedStar=20
Health, a network of seven hospitals in the Baltimore-Washington=20
region. The partner strategy is a page from Microsoft=92s old playbook.=20=

To make its operating system, Windows, the dominant platform for=20
personal computers, Microsoft persuaded other companies to build on its=20=

technology, and it helped them do it.

=93The value of what we=92re doing will go up rapidly as we get more=20
partners,=94 said Peter Neupert, the vice president in charge of=20
Microsoft=92s health group.

The consumer health offering includes a personal health record and=20
Internet searches tailored for health queries, under the name Microsoft=20=

HealthVault (www.healthvault.com).

The personal information, Microsoft said, will be stored in a secure,=20
encrypted database. Its privacy controls, the company said, are set=20
entirely by the individual, including what information goes in and who=20=

gets to see it. HealthVault searches are conducted anonymously,=20
Microsoft said, and will not be linked to any personal information in a=20=

HealthVault personal health record.

The company hopes that individuals will give doctors, clinics and=20
hospitals permission to submit information like medicines prescribed=20
and data on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Mr. Neupert said such data transfers would then be automatic, over the=20=

Internet, which is why the partnerships are so important.

  At NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Aurelia G. Boyer, the=20
chief information officer, explained that the hospital was committed to=20=

helping patients manage their own health care. After an initial=20
discussion with Microsoft, the hospital has pledged to start a pilot=20
project to enable some kinds of patient data =97 E.K.G.=92s, perhaps =97 =
to=20
be automatically sent to a person=92s HealthVault account.

The Microsoft entry comes at a time when people are increasingly using=20=

online tools, especially searches, to find health information. Tighter=20=

curbs on medical spending and an aging population with more health=20
concerns are expected to prompt consumers to take a larger role in=20
managing their own care, including using online tools. But that trend=20
has not gone very far yet.

Microsoft is also moving ahead at a time when other large technology=20
companies have hit bumps in their health initiatives.

For example, the leader of Google=92s health group, Adam Bosworth, left=20=

last month. The company has been developing offerings broadly similar=20
to Microsoft=92s, including personal health records stored in Google =
data=20
centers and an enhanced search for health information.

The head of Cisco=92s health care practice, Dr. Jeffrey Rideout, =
recently=20
left to join a private equity firm, Ziegler HealthVest Management. And=20=

Dossia, a coalition led by Intel to provide employees at several large=20=

companies with personal health records, is going more slowly than=20
planned.

But while some other technology companies are pulling back or slowing=20
down in health, =93Microsoft is stepping forward and finally declaring=20=

the hand it will play,=94 said Dr. David J. Brailer, who was the health=20=

information technology coordinator in the Bush administration. He now=20
leads a firm that invests in medical ventures, Health Evolution=20
Partners.

At the American Heart Association, Dr. Daniel Jones, the president,=20
said working with Microsoft was a way to accelerate his group=92s =
efforts=20
to curb heart disease. Microsoft is collaborating with the association=20=

on an online tool for managing blood pressure. Heart patients will be=20
able to go to the association=92s Web site, open a HealthVault account=20=

and submit their blood-pressure readings, weight and medications.

At first, Dr. Jones said, consumers will probably enter the data=20
themselves, but later they may have it sent from a doctor=92s office or=20=

laboratory. Ideally, he said, patients would share the information with=20=

their doctor or nurse, who could call or send an e-mail message to warn=20=

of any disturbing changes. =93The potential here is very great,=94 Dr.=20=

Jones said. =93And we all recognize the power of Microsoft to reach=20
millions of households.=94

Microsoft has also signed up health care companies. Johnson & Johnson=20
LifeScan, the nation=92s largest producer of the glucose monitors used =
by=20
many diabetes patients, plans to enable the monitors=92 readouts to be=20=

uploaded to a Microsoft HealthVault account. =93We see this as a=20
potentially powerful tool in helping patients manage their diabetes,=94=20=

said Tom West, president of Johnson & Johnson LifeScan.

Privacy is a serious consideration and one likely to slow the spread of=20=

personal health records. But Microsoft=92s privacy principles have=20
impressed Dr. Deborah Peel, chairwoman of the Patient Privacy Rights=20
Foundation, a nonprofit group. In terms of patient control and openness=20=

to outside audits, =93Microsoft is setting an industry standard for=20
privacy,=94 Dr. Peel said.

Mr. Neupert of Microsoft said the key to building trust in the service=20=

would be a track record on privacy. Consumers, he noted, initially were=20=

reluctant to try online banking because of privacy worries. But today,=20=

online banking is mainstream.

=93It=92s going to be a long journey,=94 Mr. Neupert said. =93To make a=20=

difference in health care, it is going to take time and scale. And=20
Microsoft has both.=94



Copyright 2007  The New York Times Company=20=

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<bold><fontfamily><param>Times</param>October 5, 2007


<bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><x-tad-bigger>Microsoft Offers System
to Track Health Records

=
</x-tad-bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></fontfamily></bold><bo=
ld><fontfamily><param>Times</param>By
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>STEVE LOHR</color>



=
</fontfamily></bold><fontfamily><param>Times</param><color><param>0000,000=
0,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>Microsoft</x-tad-bigger></color><bold><x-tad-b=
igger>
is starting its long-anticipated drive into the consumer health care
market by offering free personal health records on the Web and
pursuing a strategy that borrows from the company=92s successful formula
in personal computer software.


The venture by Microsoft, which is called HealthVault and was
announced yesterday in Washington, comes after two years spent
building a team, expertise and technology. In recent months, Microsoft
managers have met with many potential partners, including
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>hospitals=
</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>,
disease-prevention organizations and health care companies.


The organizations that have signed up for HealthVault projects with
Microsoft include the
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>American
Heart Association</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>,
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>Johnson
& Johnson</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger> LifeScan,
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>Mayo
Clinic</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger> and MedStar Health, a
network of seven hospitals in the Baltimore-Washington region. The
partner strategy is a page from Microsoft=92s old playbook. To make its
operating system, Windows, the dominant platform for personal
computers, Microsoft persuaded other companies to build on its
technology, and it helped them do it.


=93The value of what we=92re doing will go up rapidly as we get more
partners,=94 said Peter Neupert, the vice president in charge of
Microsoft=92s health group.


The consumer health offering includes a personal health record and
Internet searches tailored for health queries, under the name
Microsoft HealthVault
=
(</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>www.heal=
thvault.com</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>).


The personal information, Microsoft said, will be stored in a secure,
encrypted database. Its privacy controls, the company said, are set
entirely by the individual, including what information goes in and who
gets to see it. HealthVault searches are conducted anonymously,
Microsoft said, and will not be linked to any personal information in
a HealthVault personal health record.


The company hopes that individuals will give doctors, clinics and
hospitals permission to submit information like medicines prescribed
and data on
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>blood
pressure</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger> and
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>cholester=
ol</x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>
levels.


Mr. Neupert said such data transfers would then be automatic, over the
Internet, which is why the partnerships are so important.


 At NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Aurelia G. Boyer, the
chief information officer, explained that the hospital was committed
to helping patients manage their own health care. After an initial
discussion with Microsoft, the hospital has pledged to start a pilot
project to enable some kinds of patient data =97 E.K.G.=92s, perhaps =97 =
to
be automatically sent to a person=92s HealthVault account.


The Microsoft entry comes at a time when people are increasingly using
online tools, especially searches, to find health information. Tighter
curbs on medical spending and an aging population with more health
concerns are expected to prompt consumers to take a larger role in
managing their own care, including using online tools. But that trend
has not gone very far yet.


Microsoft is also moving ahead at a time when other large technology
companies have hit bumps in their health initiatives.


For example, the leader of
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>Google</x=
-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>=92s
health group, Adam Bosworth, left last month. The company has been
developing offerings broadly similar to Microsoft=92s, including
personal health records stored in Google data centers and an enhanced
search for health information.


The head of
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>Cisco</x-=
tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>=92s
health care practice, Dr. Jeffrey Rideout, recently left to join a
private equity firm, Ziegler HealthVest Management. And Dossia, a
coalition led by
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>Intel</x-=
tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>
to provide employees at several large companies with personal health
records, is going more slowly than planned.


But while some other technology companies are pulling back or slowing
down in health, =93Microsoft is stepping forward and finally declaring
the hand it will play,=94 said Dr. David J. Brailer, who was the health
information technology coordinator in the Bush administration. He now
leads a firm that invests in medical ventures, Health Evolution
Partners.


At the American Heart Association, Dr. Daniel Jones, the president,
said working with Microsoft was a way to accelerate his group=92s
efforts to curb heart disease. Microsoft is collaborating with the
association on an online tool for managing blood pressure. Heart
patients will be able to go to the association=92s Web site, open a
HealthVault account and submit their blood-pressure readings, weight
and medications.


At first, Dr. Jones said, consumers will probably enter the data
themselves, but later they may have it sent from a doctor=92s office or
laboratory. Ideally, he said, patients would share the information
with their doctor or nurse, who could call or send an e-mail message
to warn of any disturbing changes. =93The potential here is very great,=94=

Dr. Jones said. =93And we all recognize the power of Microsoft to reach
millions of households.=94


Microsoft has also signed up health care companies. Johnson & Johnson
LifeScan, the nation=92s largest producer of the glucose monitors used
by many
=
</x-tad-bigger><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><x-tad-bigger>diabetes<=
/x-tad-bigger></color><x-tad-bigger>
patients, plans to enable the monitors=92 readouts to be uploaded to a
Microsoft HealthVault account. =93We see this as a potentially powerful
tool in helping patients manage their diabetes,=94 said Tom West,
president of Johnson & Johnson LifeScan.


Privacy is a serious consideration and one likely to slow the spread
of personal health records. But Microsoft=92s privacy principles have
impressed Dr. Deborah Peel, chairwoman of the Patient Privacy Rights
Foundation, a nonprofit group. In terms of patient control and
openness to outside audits, =93Microsoft is setting an industry standard
for privacy,=94 Dr. Peel said.


Mr. Neupert of Microsoft said the key to building trust in the service
would be a track record on privacy. Consumers, he noted, initially
were reluctant to try online banking because of privacy worries. But
today, online banking is mainstream.


=93It=92s going to be a long journey,=94 Mr. Neupert said. =93To make a
difference in health care, it is going to take time and scale. And
Microsoft has both.=94




=
</x-tad-bigger></bold></fontfamily><bold><fontfamily><param>Helvetica</par=
am><color><param>0000,0000,6666</param><smaller><smaller>Copyright
2007</smaller></smaller></color><smaller><smaller>=20
<color><param>0000,0000,6666</param>The New York Times Company</color> =
</smaller></smaller></fontfamily></bold>=

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