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Microsoft Targets Health Consumers


November 1, 2007

Microsoft Corp. has entered the battle to electronically capture the health care consumer. The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant today launched HealthVault, a platform that will act as a Web portal for consumers to access various content and tools, including a free personal health record. Microsoft also is offering a programming interface for software developers to offer the content and tools.

The vendor has lined up more than 40 content and software partners. HealthVault will include a mix of free and subscription-based services. "Having and using data is free," says Sean Nolan, chief software architect for HealthVault. Other services, such as a personal fitness coach who reviews an individual's health data and gives counseling, will carry a fee.

A major goal of HealthVault is to ease the collection and sharing of information among physicians and their patients.

A free personal health record from Newtown, Pa.-based CapMed is among initial functions now available. Microsoft is working with electronic health records vendors to use interoperability technology in the platform to enable physicians to send official medical records to patient PHRs. Physicians with paper records will be able to fax them to a personal fax number unique to each individual with an account. The documents will be scanned and inputted into the appropriate PHR.

Secure messaging software from Kryptiq Corp., Hillsboro, Ore., will enable consumers to exchange information with their physicians. Microsoft also is working with vendors of patient monitoring and fitness devices so consumers can download data from those devices directly into their PHR.

The consumer portal includes secure, free search capability of medical articles and reference material from 20 partners. All traffic between users and the search engine will be encrypted. Microsoft will not keep track of individual query histories across sessions; will not target ads based on an individual's searches, past responses to ads or demographic information; and will delete the server, application logs and identifying cookies after 90 days.

HealthVault will have financial support from advertisers. A search for information on autism, for instance, returns pertinent information but also displays in an advertisement for four appropriate books for sale on Amazon.com.

Microsoft will use individual information for commercial purposes only with informed consent of the individual, Nolan says.

HealthVault's consumer services are available at healthvault.com.

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