>I do absolutly not mind the name and status of Open Source organizations, as long as they are >producing useful services.>....We need also personal contacts from time to time, at least 1 or 2 times a year.
>I see indeed the need of a few meeting points about Open Source activities in healthcare.
>Open means Open, i.e. not necessarily one unique world organization, if that is too difficult >manage.
>...At the end the essential goals are collaboration and interoperability, in order to solve common problems.
I would agree with Etienne's points - one of the things I am keen to see, and I would hope others would be too, is the various organisations working together where there is common interest and useful things can be achieved - but also recognising that each has their own particular areas of interest that may have some unique features. The IMIA OSWG, for example, has health informatics focus, while I suspect OSHCA's remit is broader and covering the whole health domain.
One of the aims underlying the setting up of the IMIA OSWG was to try and foster groups working together; there are too few people (still) in the various organisations for us not to work together for the common good. We are happy to lend support to activities of other groups and work with them if it would be of use - similarly, we are happy for other groups to work with us on activities we may lead. If it would be of use, I'm sure we would be interested in exploring how we can help facilitate/support an OSHCA meeting for 2004.
Cheers, Peter Murray Co-chair, IMIA OSWG - www.chirad.info/imiaoswg Chair, IMIA-NI OSNI WG - www.osni.info
