Feature - Mission: HealthGrid
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The HealthGrid initiative began in 2002, created by a scientific community driven to develop health-related grid technology at an international level. In April 2003 this initiative became the HealthGrid association, a community that now includes about 500 people from 30 countries across the globe. The HealthGrid community comprises two main arms: the HealthGrid international association, which promotes the use of grids in the international healthcare and biomedical sectors; and the HealthGrid.US alliance, which represents HealthGrid in the U.S. By working together, it has become easier to share and communicate knowledge and technology, to guarantee effective collaboration between business and collaborative, free and open source models, and to provide trustworthy resources. Together, HealthGrid can ensure the continuation of essential research.
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Should you choose to accept it HealthGrid has three main missions: 1: To improve biomedical research and healthcare services delivery HealthGrid members are working to influence grid technologies and related advanced informatics innovations; to discover how to apply HealthGrid technologies and thus improve healthcare results; and to enable and improve information exchange and open access. 2: To create an open, collaborative, virtual community This community is composed of people with different backgrounds-healthcare professionals, supporters, sponsors, academic, commercial and government organizations-united in their interest in enhancing healthgrids. 3: To communicate the collective knowledge of the HealthGrid community The people involved in the HealthGrid initiative are as important as the IT development, a value reflected in the emphasis HealthGrid places on good communication. These efforts include meetings, workshops and publications; tests and validation of Healthgrid standards; and recommendations made to government and professional forums. HealthGrid also contributes to several technical and general grid-related projects, including EGEE, which is improving the use of grid for e-science and biomedical research, and ACGT, which is using grid technology for the medical treatment of cancer. Supported by the European Commission, all these projects are enhancing research within the biomedical sector. Interested in contributing to HealthGrid? The annual HealthGrid conference will be held this year in Chicago, U.S., from 2-4 June. The sixth in the HealthGrid conference series, this conference will renew the opportunity for community members to gather and share projects, advances and visions in regards with the use of grids for healthcare. - Aurélie Fouré, HealthGrid |
