NHIN, Google Health, HealthVault: even dwarves started small

Last week, ONCHIT COO Charles Friedman said NHIN integration with Google’s PHR and Microsoft’s HealthVault is in the cards.  He didn’t say much else about the integration, adding yet another layer to the vaporware sensibility attaching to the two big PHR plays.

You may be thinking: What’s with the dwarves?  Well, when the best thing that can be said about connecting various computers across government systems is that now everyone can agree on when someone’s dead (so cutting benefits checks to the deceased will be a thing of the past) — see the article linked to above — that makes me thing we’re just at the very beginning of the latest digital revolution.

At a high concept level, the scope of the NHIN initiatives is remarkable.  At the practical level, there’s a long way to go.  I sure hope NHIN can grow into the big shoes it’s set out for itself.

— David Harlow