Linux in healthcare is a tale of things seen and unseen. Linux/Open Source have enjoyed tremendous popularity in embedded systems and networks for major technologies used in healthcare that healthcare providers may not even be aware of. It has also experienced a steady adoption rate in healthcare applications. Nevertheless, the adoption rate of Linux/Open Source in healthcare lags that of other industries. Here’s why, and how that could change.
In 2006, Linux server sales are outpacing overall server sales by an 8:1 ratio, and Linux is outpacing Windows as an operating system in new sales at a rate of 5:1. This growth is occurring across all industry sectors, including healthcare, but healthcare presents a unique challenge. The criticality of patient care, coupled with intense regulation and limited IT budgets, delays adoptions of new technologies in healthcare.
“Many healthcare organizations have been using the same technologies for 20 or 30 years,” said Chris Bidleman, Director of Healthcare Solutions for the Americas for Novell. “In our healthcare trade show booth year after year, we had about the same volume of visitors. But after the healthcare information management initiatives (HIMS) last year, we noticed a significant increase in conversations around our trade booth at healthcare shows about Linux and Open Source. In fact, there was probably more volume in visitors and organizations at our healthcare trade booth last year than in all the previous years combined.”
Bidleman says that Novell has seen many hospitals asking about the Linux desktop, which…
Please log in to view this content.
Not Yet a Member?
Register with LinuxMagazine.com and get free access to the entire archive, including:
