A Booster Shot for Medical Data-Sharing

Via Businessweek:

The movement to build a medical Internet linking millions of Americans' electronic health records advanced on Nov. 11. Officials of the U.S. Health & Human Services Dept. awarded four contracts to build regional networks that will let doctors and hospitals share medical data. The network is aimed at improving medical quality and slashing health-care costs.

Contracts went to groups led by IBM (IBM), Accenture (ACN), Northrop Grumman (NOC), and Computer Sciences (CSC). Although the contracts total only $20 million, bidding by some of technology's titans reflects the industry's recognition that the $1.7 trillion U.S. health-care business could generate the next big wave of tech investment and productivity growth.

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