Connecting for Health Connecting for Health was convened by the Markle Foundation to serve as a catalyst for changes that would begin rapidly to clear the way for an interoperable health information infrastructure. It was designed to address the challenges of mobilizing health information in order to improve quality, conduct timely research, empower patients to become full participants in their care, and bolster the public health infrastructure. The success of Connecting for Health's initial phase, which broke through the long-standing impasse related to data standards, was attained by finding achievable milestones and focusing on areas where consensus could be achieved. (more)
			Health in a Networked Life Health in a Networked Life is an exploration of the social and cultural changes resulting from an increasingly interconnected tracked society. (more)
			Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) In partnership with the National Cancer Institute, Markle supported a study to evaluate the efficacy and scalability of an interactive, computer-based patient support system among underserved women newly-diagnosed with breast cancer. CHESS provides users with up-to-date cancer information, software to help weigh treatment options, and 24-hour support from cancer experts and other patients, all via an Internet connection from home. The program has expanded from a pilot project at the University of Wisconsin to include a significant implementation in rural areas of Wisconsin and inner city neighborhoods of Detroit. (more)
			Markle Telemedicine Clinic in Cambodia The Markle Foundation Telemedicine clinic in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, provides a model for the way in which information and communication technologies can be harnessed to improve the quality of health and life in the developing world. It brings the specialized skills of doctors at Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospitals to one of the most isolated and medically-underserved areas of Cambodia and the region. (more)
			Understanding Healthcare A book designed to present health information in a way that is both appealing an understandable for anyone struggling with the often-overwhelming process of researching reliable health and health care information. Richard Saul Wurman developed Understanding Healthcare, with support from Johnson & Johnson, the Markle Foundation and the UnitedHealth Group, to present complex health related information ranging from how the human body works to how the health care system works in a way that encourages and allows people to play a more active role in their own health care. (more)
			Life on the Line A collaboration among the Markle Foundation, Oxygen Media, WebMD and the Foundation for Accountability (FACCT), Life on the Line employs converged media -- cable TV and the Web -- to inspire and enable women to be active participants in their own health care. The project has provided valuable insights into how these media can influence the public's knowledge of and attitudes toward health and healthcare in a positive way. (more)
			Patient Accessible Electronic Medical Records This project rests on understanding the impact of patient access to their medical records. Markle partnered with Partners Healthcare System and the Foundation for Accountability (FACCT) for this project to study the impact on a patients' care accessing their own medical records and analyzing the potential value of involving patients in reporting on the health care services they receive. More than 10,000 patients are now accessing their records through the Partners Patient Gateway and the early results have been compelling. (more)
			METAWEB (Applied Minds/The Knowledge Web) Markle is supporting innovator Danny Hillis in an exploratory project designed to further his vision for a technical architecture that can facilitate the public's access to relevant, trustworthy electronic information. This effort considers the feasibility of an "intelligent" network that would build on the existing Internet to help the public to find information. Mr. Hillis hopes to explain how building the technical capability to adjust to a user's individual preferences and knowledge levels can provide enhanced value and relevance for content. The project draws upon Mr. Hillis' prior work and incorporates the expertise of several health and technology advisors such as Martin Greenberger, Katrina Heron, Alan Kay, Clay Shirky, and Vic Strecher. (more)