Information Infrastructure for Healthcare: An Evaluation of a Government-Industry211 Development Initiative

摘要

This paper illustrates how a 'bottom-up' model of a civilian technology policy211u001eprogram works by recounting the story of the 'genesis' of the Advanced Technology 211u001eProgram's (APT) Information Infrastructure for Healthcare (IIH) focused program. 211u001eThis program began with an initial exchange of ideas among members of the private 211u001eand public sectors (industry's submission of 'white papers;' workshops conducted 211u001eby the ATP; meetings held between individuals from both groups) to identify those 211u001etechnologies necessary for the development of a national information 211u001einfrastructure in healthcare. Key findings include the development of a 211u001ecomprehensive national program from piecemeal ideas of individual companies and 211u001eindividuals; the role of 'double life' individuals, whether medical doctors or 211u001ecomputer scientists, who embody both areas of expertise, in smoothing the 211u001etranslation process between the disciplines in complex interdisciplinary 211u001eprojects; and the notion of 'balanced firms' whereby the ATP provided the means 211u001eto allow a firm to operate somewhere in a spectrum consisting of 'market' and 211u001e'research' oriented firms at either end.