The Chronicle of Higher Education: 'Superarchives' Could Hold All Scholarly Output. Several colleges are now looking to share more of that work by building "institutional repositories" online and inviting their professors to upload copies of their research papers, data sets, and other work. The idea is to gather as much of the intellectual output of an institution as possible in an easy-to-search online collection. [Tomalak's Realm]

È Interesting article.  Here's a taster:

Several colleges are now looking to share more of that work by building "institutional repositories" online and inviting their professors to upload copies of their research papers, data sets, and other work.

Some imagine a day when every research university gives its research away through the Web, allowing scholars and nonacademics to mine it for ideas and information.

Institutional repositories could create an alternative to journals, fans of the archives say.

Journal publishers, meanwhile, say that such repositories are unlikely to supplant their publications.

Journals, they argue, are still the best means of distributing and preserving research.

And even some of those supporting the new archives recognize the difficulty of getting professors to change their habits.

"We've had pretty serious interest in the system from about 30 major institutions," Ms.

What: Massachusetts Institute of Technology's project to develop a superarchive, as well as software tools for creating and maintaining the repository.

The tools will be offered to other colleges that want to use them.

When: DSpace has been under development for two years.

The university is testing it this summer, and plans to make the software available free to anyone in the fall, when the university will invite all professors at MIT to contribute to its archive.

What: Free software developed at the University of Southampton, in Britain, to help individual scholars, departments, or universities create archives of research papers online.

An updated version was released this year.

What: A series of "metadata" codes that librarians or others can attach to research papers to help search engines pull out desired information.

Universities are funded out of taxation.  The fruits of their research should be made available to all, for the benefit of all.

[Curiouser and curiouser!]

1:13:09 PM     comment []   WWPP     

Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, an infectious disease expert noted for her work against AIDS and anthrax, will be the next director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By Warren E. Leary. [New York Times: Health]

You Snooze You Win, Learning Study Reveals [Scientific American]
You Snooze You Win, Learning Study Reveals

Work-aholics take note: new research indicates that morning sleep and afternoon naps aid mental and physical learning. Scientists have known for some time that sleep can improve the brain[base ']s acquisition of new facts and skills, but its effect on previously learned knowledge was not known. To that end, two studies published this month in the journals Neuron and Nature Neuroscience suggest that snoozing can reverse "burnout" from information overload and improve motor skill development.

Themes, one more time. There are new themes for both versions of our WWPP sites. Click on the title and go to the instructions page.

At the bottom of the instructions page is a part of our instructions outline meant to help you upgrade your theme. That area has links for the new parts and instructions on how to protect and reinstall your personal ownerPicture.jpg

Heart Pump Saves Lives, and Raises Questions. The F.D.A. is considering a heart pump for people too old or sick for a transplant. But who should get the $60,000 pumps? Who should pay for them? By Sheryl Gay Stolberg. [New York Times: Health]

Chronic Care and Geriatric Resources-Innovations.

Met with Ron Stock re: Learning about Interdisciplinary Teams in a Geriatric Outpatient Setting.  He has discovered that change is most effective when you complete steps in the following order:  10 create a team culture- where people understand their roles. 2) Introduce evidence based protocols - change in practice  3) Redesign the work.  Sounds like we're on the right track.

He also suggested there are some good resources about Acute Care of Elder program based on interdisciplinary teams.  They are exploring these for the new hospital in Eugene.  Maybe a direction to explore with St. Joseph's.  The link is attached.

Opportunities to connect with others abound- Medicaid Case Mangement set for July 25th, Greenfield Site Visit July 29th, perhaps a Seattle presentation with CMS on Systems Dynamics Modeling/Simulation for July 15th.  Life is full of possibilities. 

[Mary Minniti's Radio Weblog] [Marc's Weblog]

Fossil Flora Suggest Rain Forest Once Flourished Where Colorado Now Burns [Scientific American]
Some 65 million years ago, a mass extinction of global proportions stamped out much of the earth[base ']s flora and fauna, perhaps most notably the dinosaurs. The fossil record indicates that worldwide species diversity did not recover from this catastrophic event for another 10 million years. It came as a surprise, then, when researchers recently discovered near Denver, Colo., remnants of an incredibly plant-rich rain forest dating to just 1.4 million years after the devastation. - DMNS/PAINTING BY JAN VRIESEN

Health-System Meltdown A prescription for needless suffering and death by Marc B. Haefele

King-Drew: Not worthy of life support (Photo by Slobodan Dimitrov)

CAN HEALTH CARE FOR THE POOR AS IT NOW exists be saved in Los Angeles County?

The answer looks like "no." Even the Department of Health Services' (DHS) usual strong supporters -- Supervisor Gloria Molina, for instance -- seem resigned to an "inevitable" downsizing that will make for longer lines at fewer facilities. Or as the Times quoted her, speaking of her own constituents: "They're just going to have to drive farther, wait longer."

Initial Radioland Voyage. Today Radioland becomes a communication link on activities related to Pursuing Perfection in Whatcom County.  As Project Manager, I will link to activities and help create connections between many individuals who are making a new patient-centered healthcare delivery system a reality in Whatcom County, Washington. [Mary Minniti's Radio Weblog]

Progress in information sharing, got Mary up and running with Radio, although she has not yet adopted the Radio theme.  Facilitated posting of the project plan on the Pursuing Pefection Web see link in title.  Scheduled to load Radio Monday on Annie Gort's pc.

Please let me know what you think about posting the error messages during this implementation phase.  I consider it doing our part for transparency.  Will continue to post meaningful text relative to installations in the interest of making this easier each time. 

I am excited to participate in starting this new and exciting forum for sharing information as we forge bravely ahead with the transformation.  

[Lori's site]

 

1) Patients truly at the center, "radical patientcentricity"

2) First design the healtcare system that is needed.  Then and only then, design the payment system to support the idealized system design.

• Too frequently we have tried to create as system through manipulation of the payment structures. That is like trying to make a marionette dance through strings held by puppeteers who can't see each other, can't see the marionnette and don't agree on the dance. Together we can get the dance steps right. This is the first order of business if we are to improve the patients' and providers' experience, and deliver the needed quility and value.
• In our Pursing Perfection project will use group systems dynamics modeling and simulation to design the dance for a couple of chronic diseases first.

[Marc's Pursuing Perfection Weblog]

Better Medical Decisions, Not Higher Costs By MILT FREUDENHEIM

The Supreme Court ruled this month that states had the right to insist on an independent review for patients whose managed health care plans refused to pay for a treatment or drug prescribed by their doctor.

We have a new Theme for the WWPP group. To be a little more precise, we have two new themes, but they both look almost the same.

We have a WWPP 1.0.2 theme to be used with Marc Barrots activeRenderer tool. Marc has his own site called S L A M. Check it out if you get the chance.

We also have a WWPPflat 1.0.2 theme to be used without Marc's tool.

They both can be reached through our new installation directions page. Link -> Instructions

We are moving along with the introduction of the WWPP theme to the first of our beta team. The first two are Marc Pierson's Pursuing Perfection and Lori Nichols' Site. Check out their sites. We should have four more this week. (Apologies to LORI ... That's Lori with an "I", Lori.)

What a team!.

Pursuing Perfection Team,

I just want to tell you all how impressed I am with the work you are doing. I include in "the work" the team building, the dealing with change and stress and remaining positive while not denying the difficulty. We have less than a month under our belts and look how far we've come together in pursuing perfection.

I hope each of you feel as privileged to work with the group as I do.

Thanks for being who you are and for keeping the patient in the center.

ment goals.

a: 

Welcome - Mark Donaldson  5 minutes

Introduction of those present and their role/why are they here- All 10 min

Quick summary of P2 in Bellingham- Marc  15 min

Systems Dynamics Overview and Demo- Gary Hirsch Jack Homer  1 hr

Key principles, steps of process, why they are important, relationshiip of cost, quality, issues of overuse and underuse affects the system,  our work so far, , how this can help inform healthcare payment policy

Q& A and discussion on how by working together we can create a  more robust simulation All  30 minutes

Outcomes: Shared knowledge, generate some interest in cooperation in this area