CERA v4 connects with Microsoft HealthVault and Windows Live, and provides
guidance on using Silverlight 2.0 to create compelling user experiences.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spurring health plans
to proactively engage consumers, Microsoft Corp. today announced the
release of its Consumer Engagement Reference Architecture (CERA) version 4,
providing guidance for the first time to help payers connect to "in the
cloud" platforms and services such as HealthVault, Windows Live and more.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
As a stand-alone module under the Connected Health Framework for Health
Plans -- launched in 2007 -- CERA v4 is composed of a working demo and
documentation, as well as soon-to-be released guidance, architectural
blueprints and freely available code. CERA v4 builds upon prior releases of
CERA by adding guidance for health plans to connect with HealthVault --
Microsoft's consumer health platform -- Windows Live and other online
services.
"Health plans face a challenge in engaging consumers in their health,
as evidenced by low member portal traffic and adoption rates," said Dennis
Schmuland, U.S. health plans industry solutions director at Microsoft. "The
Consumer Engagement Reference Architecture provides guidance to health
plans and solution partners on effective ways to accelerate consumer
adoption by placing them in control of their health and health information
- and keeping them engaged over the course of their lifetimes."
The interaction of CERA v4 with HealthVault, a technology platform that
helps consumers collect, store, use and share their personal health
information in a security-enhanced environment, is critical to keeping
consumers engaged, as it puts them at the center of their health decisions
and information, while enabling the exchange of information among different
health services and devices at their discretion. It is designed to help
members store an array of health records in their HealthVault accounts,
including continuity of care documents, prescription medication lists,
health histories, hospital discharge summaries, lab test results, fitness
data and Web search results.
CERA v4 also features authenticated sign-on via Microsoft's LiveID
technology, and software-generated "moments of participation," which are
meaningful interactions with people, software agents, natural interfaces
and devices that make positive health changes more natural for the
consumer. These "moments" are enabled by extending health plan information
and interactivity to multiple channels and are powered by Web 2.0
technology such as Microsoft Silverlight 2.0. In fact, CERA v4 provides
guidance to health plans on how to use Silverlight Mobile to extend their
experiences to mobile devices, allowing it to meet consumers within the
context of their digital lifestyles. Mashup technology utilizes the
Microsoft platform to bring data from different sources together in one
display, so that health plans can manipulate provider data to be mapped to
geographical and cost treatment information, for example.
Additional guidance within CERA v4 includes how to use
voice-recognition technology from Tellme Networks Inc., a Microsoft
subsidiary, as well as natural-language technology powered by Microsoft
Automated Service Agents, which helps health plan organizations extend the
impact of human coaches, care managers and providers by engaging consumers
in conversations and allowing them to ask for help in their own words.
Consumers can report daily or weekly progress on key health measures, and
receive reminders for key events such as taking medications and getting
preventative tests.
Those interested in more information or in viewing a demo of CERA v4
should contact hlthplan@microsoft.com. The CERA v4 code and design
blueprint will be available by July 2008 at no cost (connect-time charges
may apply) for download from the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN)
Healthcare Industry Center at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/architecture/bb231558.aspx.
About the Connected Health Framework for Health Plans
The Connected Health Framework for Health Plans is a free, open and
extensible reference architecture designed to help health plans drive out
the costs and complexities of interconnecting core systems, service
channels, new applications, consumers, devices and business partners and
rapidly seize new business opportunities. The blueprint is a "real-world"
service-oriented reference architecture that enables health plans and
industry solution partners to focus on immediate business problems and
apply IT solutions in incremental steps to deliver near-term business
results -- regardless of platform or original programming language. For
more information on the CHF for Health Plans, visit
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/architecture/bb530213.aspx.
About Microsoft in Health and Life Sciences
Microsoft provides standards-based products and technology to help the
health and life sciences industries break down information barriers between
the disparate IT environments across pharmaceutical, biotechnology and
medical device companies, physicians and health professionals, provider
organizations, government and private-sector employers, health insurers,
and consumers. Microsoft's vision for knowledge-driven health utilizes the
company's market-leading technology to help people in the healthcare
provider, payer and life sciences organizations integrate their systems,
dramatically enhance collaboration and increase information sharing and
learning -- ultimately resulting in the ability to deliver high-quality
products and services to patients and consumers worldwide. More information
about Microsoft in health plans industry can be found at
http://www.microsoft.com/healthplans.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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Related links:
http://www.microsoft.com
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
pr.mspx./ /CONTACT: Ted Ladd of Microsoft,
+1-646-225-4722, tedladd@microsoft.com; or Caitlin McCabe of
Ruder Finn, +1-415-348-2723, mccabec@ruderfinn.com, for Microsoft
Corp.
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