There’s a lot of talk in the US and other countries about the moment about Health Reform and how Personal Health Records (PHR) aka Electronic Health Records (EHR) from the like of Microsoft (HealthVault), Google (Google Health) and others (e.g. Dossia) are going to make things more efficient.

Sadly in a lot of cases the people they seem to make more efficient for are the Hospital Administrators and Insurance companies who’ve done a good job of letting costs spiral out of control to improve their shareholder returns rather than providing good value healthcare at low cost to the consumer and the tax payer.

Maybe adopting PHR frameworks is going to help reduce costs and make Doctors lives easier but without a personal-centric view I’m not sure how it’s going to help the recipients of health-care – you and me.

What happens if I’ve chosen to put my data into HealthVault yet the hospital I get admitted to only has a Dossia based system. What happens if I change dentists from a Google Health affiliated provider to a HealthVault practitioner. Will my Chiropractor in the US who uses HealthVault be able to access the X-Rays taken at a Medical Center in Australia or the UK?

And will any of them be able to access personal data the should be taken into account as part of holistic health based approach to maybe stave off the need for medical attention – personal training, gym and other exercise?

I use an Omron pedometer which I track in HealthVault via the WalkMe service. My Polar FT80 HRM however stores data in their service. I use the equally isolated gtFtr to track random workouts and weigh-ins. Other people may use something like a Nike+, FitBit or a Philips DirectLife (with personal recommendations) to track their activity and a Withings scale that twitters your weight to your followers. Every time I go to the gym there’s no record of what I actually did there (hence the need for a Gym Buddy) so there’s no way my doctor knows I’m actually following their recommendations or my personal trainer to see the results of my latest checkup.

There are initiatives like Continua to come up with common standards for connected equipment but at the moment they seem to have some IP requirements standing in the way of getting more people to the table.

Without a way to put the focus on the individual and get people to buy into the concept adoption will be slow and painful but if there’s a way for people to connect and see the impact of their choices (or the benefit of their good behaviors – as sites like Dental Optimizer try to go) I think the impact of PHRs will be more far reaching than just helping a few administrators cut down on their paperwork

This isn’t a Craigslist personal ad, or a plea for someone to beat me into shape (I have one already, though sometimes I think he despairs of me!)

What I’m looking for is a handy bit of technology that can come with me to the gym and help keep me on track and motivated by recording what I do, telling me where I’m improving, suggesting ways to improve where I’m losing ground and – for those long hours on the elliptical – keep me entertained.

There are a new generation of small tablet devices coming on the market. Better battery life and performance than my rather lackluster Samsung Q1U. Some running Windows 7, others running embedded operating systems such as Android. Hopefully they will spur the development of niche variations (though an important factor for a Gym Buddy would be resilience ... perhaps Panasonic need another model in their ToughBook range!)

The other thing we’ll need is folks like Life Fitness, Nautilus, Precor etc to be happy to agree a standard for two way communications between equipment and Gym Buddies and accessories like Polar heart monitors and pedometers etc need to get in on the game as well. Something like ANT or another low cost, low power radio and a simple pairing mechanism is all that’s needed.

Once paired the Gym Buddy can share your personal details (weight, age, gender) and required program parameters with the device and during the exercise record your performance (both from the machine but also accessories such as your pedometer or heart rate monitor).

While you’re exercising your Gym Buddy could keep you entertained – don’t forget it’s a fully fledged computing device. Your music (tempo synchronized to your exercise routine of course) or a video (both could be sourced via a service like Zune Pass so there’s always a mix of fresh and familiar content). Email, an RSS reader, the Web, New York Times or an eBook reader or simple mind games so you can multi-task… exercise your brain at the same time as your body. As long as they have simple on-screen controls (or voice command assuming you’re not huffing and puffing too much) – much like an in-car GPS or the Origami / Centrafuse type of interface. If you have wifi and a VoIP client I guess you could even take calls… but is that socially acceptable (fine if you’re working out at home of course)

Sure, there’s a lot of equipment in a gym that doesn’t have a brain in it that can talk wirelessly to the Gym Buddy but a Tag or a QR code on the device to identify it and a camera on the Gym Buddy and we’re all set… wave the camera at the Leg Curl machine, load up the suggested weight, watch the technique video and then record reps and sets (or confirm you hit the suggested goals).

Some exercise you won’t want to lug even a rugged ultra portable with you so the ability to sync devices (eg Polar FT80 Heart Rate Monitor watch, S1 pedometer or G1 GPS) back to the Gym Buddy when you finish would be a must. It could even create opportunities for new devices – swim lap timers etc. that can communicate wirelessly to the Gym Buddy.

For gyms and personal trainers there’s a business model here – they would be able to deliver personalized programs that their clients subscribe to. By getting better information about exercise and eating habits etc they would be able to further optimize those programs and add more value.

All this data needs to go somewhere… luckily with services like Health Vault it’s now possible to upload and store your exercise history just in case you drop a 20Lb weight on your Gym Buddy for suggesting just one more set of sit-ups and one less frosty beverage after your workout.

On a small scale I’ve been doing this for a while. My pedometer records steps to Health Vault, and I record my Elliptical sessions via Twitter to GtFtr.com but these are all discrete systems and require me to keep motivated.

Isn’t that a pretty important job for a Gym Buddy…. (oh, and if anyone is developing something like this and wants a willing victim to try it out please get in touch!)

Meantime… can someone tell me why my pedometer has a battery? Surely these things could be self winding from the kinetic motion I generate during the day?!

One of the simplest forms of exercise is walking, and the experts tell us that we should aim for 10,000 steps a day as part of a healthy lifestyle. People who use a pedometer tend to walk more than those who don't (on average around 2000 steps or about a mile) so getting a pedometer would be a smart idea.

I've been using an Omron HJ-720ITC (one of the few pedometers that has a USB connection to sync with your computer) for some months and a combination of their desktop app to keep a record for me and gtFtr to manually publish my steps (when I can remember) to help my friends encourage me to keep stepping in the right direction.

Now I've found a better way to track and share my progress though, and it uses a platform that's designed to securely hold medical data and share it under my control - Microsoft's HealthVault.

As a family we're starting to explore ways that HealthVault can let us consolidate the various medical records that at the moment are just hidden in filing cabinets around the house but we love the way we can also use it for day to day type activities...

One of the basic functions of HealthVault is that it allows 3rd party applications to be permitted access to certain data types - for instance the WalkMe application can read my pedometer data that is uploaded to HealthVault via the Connection Center (a simple application that runs in my system tray - once configured with my credentials you just need to plug in the pedometer, wait until it tells you it's grabbed the data and then unplug it and the data gets uploaded automatically).

In addition to letting me analyze my data when I’m using the application, WalkMe keeps my shared widgets and data up to date by automagically syncing with HealthVault (via a secure mechanism called "OfflineWebApplication access").

WalkMe lets me review the data in different ways to track my progress, set goals, compare to friends and ... if I want ... share my progress publicly using a variety of widgets or even an RSS feed.

If you're looking for some suggestion for routes to walk or help getting started you should check out the MSN RouteTracker which can also use HealthVault to help you keep track of your progress, and use Live Search Health to get some general fitness ideas.

Give WalkMe a try, and check out the rest of HealthVault while you're there. The service is in pretty early beta stages so your input can make a lot of difference right now so make sure you leave some feedback as to what features you'd like to see added or improved (or vote on some of my requests!)

I'm planning to wear my pedometer this year to MIX in Vegas. Wonder how far I'll walk around behind the scenes at that event - check back here to see the numbers change ;)

HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today's youth have never known a world without it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence (new infections) that showed much higher numbers that previous estimates. The time is now. Together, we can prevent the spread of this pandemic – through awareness, care, prevention, education and research.

“HIV/AIDS has now become a pandemic that has literally put the world at risk, affecting diverse populations in different ways”. –Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA Director
 

On December 1st, individuals and organizations will recognize World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is leadership – from all sectors, including government, but also leaders among individuals and families, communities, non-profits and other organizations. The question is not should you participate, but how can you?

If you want more information visit the Bloggers Unite Participation page or AIDS.gov or NIDA. If you're a blogger visit Bloggers Unite and see how you can spread the word.

A while ago I volunteered for a couple of days at the World Vision AIDS Experience. It's an eye opening look at how poverty and disease are threatening the future of the developing world, and how we can make a difference.

World Vision are not alone in seeing the problem, but it's interesting how many of the solutions revolve around the role of women in that environment.

With World AIDS day and Thanksgiving fast approaching, stop for a moment and consider the girl effect. What can you do to help fix the problem?

As a geek I’m guilty of perhaps not getting as much exercise as I need. Part of the problem is finding the time but that comes down to motivation. With the wonders of this socially networked age it’s easier to use technology to help with that motivation.

The geek in me likes stats. If I know I’m doing good, and overall improving against myself or friends then I have the incentive to keep going and doing better. You can do something simple like maintaining an excel spreadsheet or twittering your workout but as someone who’s recently rediscovered cycling after 20 years in cars I’m really blown away by SportsDo. All you need is a Windows Mobile device with GPS capabilities, a data connection and … to get off the computer and get some exercise!

Your first step is to register on the SportsDo.Net website and create a profile. From there you can download and install the Windows Mobile client (other devices are supported) or you can visit their over-the-air provisioning site directly from your phone (you can try out the application before buying – you’re just limited to the distance you can cover).

You’re not limited by specific sports (and you don’t have to pre-select or choose anything up front) – when you start a new activity on your device you can choose from a predefined list (cycling, walking, canoeing, running, snowboarding, skiing, rowing, adventuring, motor-sports, horse riding and many others) or create your own profile.

Once you hit “new” on your device it starts recording GPS data so it knows where you are and how fast you are going (and from that it can calculate calories etc).

When you are exercising – be is a brisk walk or a full out cycle race – you can stop and take photos to record the even. They are, of course, geo-tagged and will be uploaded along with the rest of the data to your online diary.

Even if you don’t stop you can check the display at any time to see how far you’ve gone or how long you’ve been out. You can also choose to have any of the statistics (location, speed, distance traveled, gradient and calories burned and others) announced via your phones speakers or headphones.

You can choose to share your stats live (if you have a phone with a data plan and coverage) and there is also an option to automatically text buddies with updates.

Once you complete an activity you can edit the description and upload it (with any photos) to the web where you can then share with friends – including a Virtual Earth animation of the trail you took (shows relative speeds), synchronized to graphs showing gradients and speed. An example of the sort details and an animation of one of my recent cycle rides.

If you are going on an activity in an area you might not know that well SportsDo also have Location Packs available. These contain details of trails, restaurants and other amenities, ski lifts etc. The packs are continually updated as information about an area improves, and the packs cover many popular resorts.

As well as documenting your sporting prowess you can use SportsDo to tell friends and family where you are (similar to the option for Navizon users). You can even embed the information in your blog if you want to share that much ;)

Not long ago I realized I was getting a little heavier and slower (and yes, older) so to help motivate myself (there’s nothing like walking past an expensive piece of equipment every day) I got an elliptical.

It was great. I started to lose weight (and thanks to the pushups and situps I felt able to do get into slightly better shape). Of course motivation remains an issue (it’s always easy to find excuses).

Pounding away for half hours at a time (especially just before Christmas when the girls were away) gave me some thinking time… how to combine the aspects of motivation with the social networking tools that we have today – Facebook and Twitter for instance.

Twitter seemed like an obvious choice. Nice short messages that force clarity, and a really approachable API so that even I – now coming up to 18 months since I actually wrote code for a living – could get to grips with.

You may have noticed the occasional Twitter message from me (and a few other folks now) that reads like “@gtFtr Elliptical Lvl 7.5 30 mins 2.2 miles cal 318 77 watts 4.4 mph HR 152” – well those are sharing the stats from my latest workout with my pet project.

The trackers (different exercises) are all outlined on the blog, and it’s fairly easy to add new ones if you don’t see something you need. It is very much a part time project and there’s quite a to do list… assuming I ever get the time to do any of it (open to suggestions from folks with more skill, more time, or a good plan).

Feel free to check it out, suggest some new trackers or just laugh at my progress…

After a year here in the US I've noticed some changes. My accent is once again shifting in some inexorable drift to a new median sound (I don't sound English, Australian or American. Most often I'm asked if I'm South African. Or Danish. That must say something about my linguistic skills), I can order a double tall eggnog latte with whipped cream and only shudder a little bit, I can actually work out from a handful of change and greenbacks how much money I have in my pocket... and (possibly a result of the lattes) I now need bigger trousers.

So, in an attempt to stop me becoming elliptical we've installed a hulking brute of a machine downstairs (Nautilus EV718).

Even if I feel the will power slipping I suspect the sheer mass of the machine will be enough to drag me out of bed an extra half hour early in the morning lest it make it's way up the stairs and do something Terminator-style to me while I sleep!

The problem with pounding away on this thing and having time to think (between yelling at the dog to get out of the way of the moving bits and trying to catch the iPod as it flies off on it's own little adventure) and imagine a future where this beast is part of SkyNet (or at least a less inimical version) and using my LiveID and Spaces I could automatically share my workouts, track my progress, get friends to nag me if they don't get a daily twit to say I've done my time. We could have leagues and do lots of trend analysis to see if it's working. Network machines together and I could race a friend the other side of the world (perhaps with the Xbox or Media Center delivering cool graphics and a pumping sound track to complement the exercise) and if I'm staying in a hotel I could hit they gym, type in my LiveID and have the exercise profile and tracking work from there as well.

I don't know what it would cost to add a network enabled, token reading Windows Embedded device to these things (and even if it could be retro-fitted to older models) or how much work it would take to push this "platform" out across multiple vendors... but I'd love to have my Facebook profile say "Jeremy burnt 150 calories this morning, and traveled 1 mile. Average level 5.6, average heart rate 158"

If will power doesn't work... peer pressure sure would ;)

In what must be a very bizarre commentary on the times we live in early seasons of Sesame Street have been released on DVD - cleared labeled that they are not suitable for young children!

Is the world becoming such a sanitized, nannied place that Sesame Street isn't bland enough to feed our kids? No wonder Grimm's Fairy Tales have been sanitized to the point of Disneyesque mindless pap.

Yet in the same world we expose kids to violent video games and cartoons that leave them inured and unable to judge right from wrong.

After Rhiannons little accident with some oatmeal we've been watching the healing progress on her leg.

I'm very happy to report that things are looking good - mobility and strength are pretty much normal and the biggest worries now are keeping sunscreen on it and patching up her knee when she falls off her bike!

It's still going to be quite a while before it's settled right down to normal but it's so much better than it was back in February. Not too itchy, doesn't hurt and while she does get a bit tired in the leg she's dancing and competing (did well in Portland and Seattle in the last couple of months and looking forward to Vancouver this month)

Huge thanks to everyone who's sent Rhiannon support over the last few months... it's very much appreciated.

Hopefully in another 5 months both legs will be looking the same again....