Built on Microsoft HealthVault, Circle Of Sharing will allow sharing of medical information and resources from the American Cancer Society with a trusted circle of caregivers, family, and friends . This is once again a great idea as all the information is centralized in one location. Myself, I have
my mother with her account and it is easy for both of us to access too. I just happen to have an 84 year old Mom that likes to scan, so even her document entry is not a problem.
With more medical devices now connecting and adding information, the HealthVault makes it a one stop gathering location for all data. We could even begin to see devices that are specific to cancer treatment in the future connecting to add data, but again the big feature here is being in control, in other words you are in control by giving access with sharing. There’s a linked connection on this blog to get started with a HealthVault account on the right hand side under resources.
As the delivery methods of medications are evolving, so are the devices as I recently wrote about with inhalers for one example, so one day soon, all of this could be incorporated into the HealthVault and who knows we could see cancer treatments delivered in this fashion with inhalers or other types of devices that will be able to supply data, especially in healthcare with cancer treatments, tracking this type of information relative to evaluating how a treatment plan is working will be vital, not only to the patient, but offering such information to clinicians and those conducting clinical trials to evaluate and create real time information.
Having timely information available in family and friends networks will also help all individuals involved in the education processes taking place and why and how certain treatments have been selected for various types of cancer. It’s a step in the direction of educating all about treatments and the evolution of personalized medicine and it is shared with who the patient selects. If you were receiving treatment as an example through the Mayo Clinic for a simple example they too are a HealthVault participant so you could already have one level already established and ready to go. BD
From the website:
Circle Of Sharing™ works through Microsoft® HealthVault™, a Web tool that allows you to store personal health information for yourself and your family on the Internet. All personal information you enter into the Circle Of Sharing™ is stored in HealthVault™.
To get started, you'll need a HealthVault™ account and a Microsoft Live ID. If you don't have these already, you'll be able to create them on the following screens.
ORLANDO, Fla. — May 29, 2009 —The American Cancer Society today unveiled its Circle Of Sharing™ social web application designed to help cancer patients, their families, and their friends better coordinate support and cancer information as they move through treatment and beyond. Built on Microsoft HealthVault, a privacy and security enhanced platform designed to put individuals in control of their personal health information, Circle Of Sharing enables users to share reliable medical information and resources from the American Cancer Society with a trusted circle of caregivers, family, and friends for a more holistic approach to managing their disease. The Society, the leading voluntary cancer fighting organization and largest non-government funder of cancer research, made the announcement at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida.
“A cancer diagnosis can be very scary and may very well be the hardest thing patients and families have ever faced, and coordinating care and communications can be a real challenge,” said Terry A. Music, chief mission delivery officer at the American Cancer Society. “The American Cancer Society provides a variety of resources to help cancer patients get well, and The Circle Of Sharing tool will provide medical information, support and status updates through the security of HealthVault to help patients and their trusted circle through this challenging time. The Society and Microsoft HealthVault entered into this strategic collaboration to create and deliver a tool that lets people with cancer organize their health information and gain insight to help them make informed health decisions.”
The Circle Of Sharing promises to help cancer patients and their support networks better manage their disease and treatment plans. Patients can organize and access critical details about their diagnosis, medications, other treatments, and side effects all in one secure location, making it easier to keep track of this information and share it with healthcare providers as they move through the different phases of their treatment.
In addition as people record the details of their health, the Circle Of Sharing tailors the articles they receive to match their situation. Cancer patients receive reliable information from the American Cancer Society specific to their needs to help them manage their care and prepare for what lies ahead. Patients can then share any of this information with members of their circle to help them better understand what the patient is going through. The tool also allows patients and loved ones to send messages to one another to better coordinate support and care.
“Empowering patients by providing them with information and resources can support them in their fight against cancer,” said David L. Cerino, general manager of the Consumer Health Solutions Group at Microsoft. “We are proud to support the American Cancer Society’s vision of creating an online community that will allow cancer patients to securely connect their health records digitally and decide which data they want to share with loved ones and their health providers in order to best manage their care.”
Consumers can learn more about the Circle Of Sharing tool and create accounts at www.cancer.org/circleofsharing
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This is so outstanding! I wish it had been around while we were helping my father with his cancer fight. This is good for the patient, as well as for the patient's family and friends. Circle of Sharing is sure to help so many patients and their families. I use MS HealthVault for myself and my family, and this is just another reason why I am happy with my decision. Kudos to the group that developed Circle of Sharing. I have to go share the news with some friends who are currently dealing with cancer.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments and glad you are using HealthVault. I think by sharing through the Vault, it will help keep all matters private too, much better than putting on the web.
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