NightBlogger

We’re always told information consolidation is for OUR safety
Los Angeles Times
Medicare and the Food and Drug Administration have announced a joint venture that promises to improve prescription drug safety and potentially reduce wasteful spending on medications.

The agencies said Thursday they have agreed on rules for using information from Medicare’s giant claims databases to create a computerized early warning network for problems with medications and medical devices that come to light after they go on the market.

Medicare will not turn over individual patient data to the FDA, but the two agencies’ computers will be able to “talk” to each other, to pose and answer questions that may reveal potentially risky side effects in new drugs. Since pre-market testing usually involves a limited number of patients, serious problems sometimes become evident only after hundreds of thousands of people begin using a product. More

FastCompanyTV
“This is the most innovative thing I’ve seen Microsoft do in years. It had a huge emotional impact on me, as I realized the way my son will see the Universe will forever change, thanks to the work of two guys in Microsoft Research (Curtis Wong and Jonathan Fay). We meet both of them and get a look at why the WorldWide Telescope created a stir at last week’s TED Conference. Coming soon, you’ll get another look inside Microsoft Research as we get a tour of the new building that the researchers themselves help design. Tons of innovative ideas there that you’ll appreciate learning from.”