New Florence. New Renaissance.

Healthcare: Back to the Future

I spent some time at the McKesson booth at HiMSS this week.

Mike Myers, SVP told me about the excitement in the industry about DNA markers and how they could revolutionize early detection of disease and also help customize solutions to each patient. Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, there has been growing progress towards predictive medicine. Mckesson has teamed with Proventys which "translates predictive data from traditional and emerging diagnostic tests, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, into clinical decision support solutions."

Then I walked over to see their "1080p, diagnostic image quality" front end to their Horizon Medical Imaging products. The touch-screen technology allows physicians to highlight and enhance images for viewing. Physicians have always loved to look at images this way and that. I know John Madden gets credit for popularizing the telestrator but you should see what physicians do to mark up images on the touch-screen.

Then, with a neat application of unified communications, with a sweep of the hand, they can send an image to a colleague’s iPhone. And using a bluetooth headset, also discuss it. There are plans to also integrate with billing and other applications.

Old genes - and old practices. Brand new technology.

"Surface Computing"

I bitched recently about MS's lack of innovation for the corporate customer...and so along comes its launch of Microsoft Surface. Three corporate customers - Harrah's, Starwood Hotels, T-Mobile - are early adopters all for high traffic location applications.

When I saw pictures this afternoon I had sense of deja vu. About a year ago I was discussing  interactive chess sets at a kid's tournament and how such a surface  device could automate notation of their moves and how it could be used to pipe the game  to a hotel room so parents could watch in the comfort of their rooms their kids play.  That had introduced me to Mitsubishi's DiamondTouch.  But they have only sold 100 tables in 6 years. I expect Microsoft will do a bit better.

Apple's iPhone will soon bring a fluid UI to the small screen. Are the days of the keyboard and the mouse finally numbered? Not surprisingly Gates and Jobs are in the midst of the action again.

I bitched recently about MS's lack of innovation for the corporate customer...and so along comes its launch of Microsoft Surface. Three corporate customers - Harrah's, Starwood Hotels, T-Mobile - are early adopters all for high traffic location applications.

When I saw pictures this afternoon I had sense of deja vu. About a year ago I was discussing  interactive chess sets at a kid's tournament and how such a surface  device could automate notation of their moves and how it could be used to pipe the game  to a hotel room so parents could watch in the comfort of their rooms their kids play.  That had introduced me to Mitsubishi's DiamondTouch.  But they have only sold 100 tables in 6 years. I expect Microsoft will do a bit better.

Apple's iPhone will soon bring a fluid UI to the small screen. Are the days of the keyboard and the mouse finally numbered? Not surprisingly Gates and Jobs are in the midst of the action again.