Edited by Kevin Dean
Grid technology, one of the key technologies for the 'European Research Area', offers rapid computation, large scale data storage and flexible collaboration by harnessing together the power of large numbers of computers, from end-users' desktops to powerful workstations and clusters of more powerful machines. The grid was devised for use in scientific fields, such as particle physics and bioinformatics, in which large volumes of data, or very rapid processing, or both, are necessary. 
This review has been taking place alongside the NHS Next Stage Review (NSR) and reflects the informatics requirements of that review. Groups of staff, patients, carers and the public have been looking at clinical pathways and new ways of providing care. There are needs to support access and choice, the involvement of patients and the public and to meet increasing expectations. These make this the appropriate time for a review of information requirements and how information is provided. The review is also timely because of the technological advances and the rise of the importance of information to society in general. Article of the Month!
The Commission Recommendation on cross-border interoperability of electronic health record systems (hereinafter referred to as 'the Recommendation') has been drafted as a follow-up to the Community eHealth Action Plan which, in 2004, defined interoperability of electronic health records as one of the priorities for Member States in the roadmap annexed to the Action Plan.
The eHealth Strategy for 2008 - 2011 was formally launched by Nicola Sturgeon at this year's NHS Scotland Event. The vision for eHealth supports the goals as set out in the Better Health Better Care Action Plan. This is about exploiting the power of electronic information to help ensure that patients get the right care, involving the right clinicians, at the right time, to deliver the right outcomes. It is therefore as much about transforming traditional processes as it is about technology.