UK health staff to receive on-line training: The more than 1 million staff employed by Britain's National Health Service will have the opportunity to update their computer skills thanks to the launch of a dedicated Web portal later this month. The NHS Information Authority has announced that a European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) portal, www.ecdl.nhs.uk, will go live on 21 March. The site will give NHS staff, 12,000 of whom have already registered on the portal, the flexibility to study from home or in the workplace and to learn at their own pace. The initiative aims to raise the level of basic IT skills for NHS staff and to support the ongoing implementation of IT applications in the health service.
EU citizens to get electronic health cards: The European Commission is planning to introduce a health smart card to replace a medical insurance form used by those travelling within the EU. Currently, citizens of an EU member state who travel to another EU country must have an up-to-date E111 form if they want to claim free emergency medical treatment. The Commission wants to replace the E111 with an electronic card, roughly the size of a credit card, in all 15 member states, starting from June 2004. In a proposed second phase, the card will also replace medical forms for jobseekers, students and drivers, improving what the Commission calls "worker mobility" across the EU.
Microsoft battles Linux for e-Japan project: Microsoft is making a last-ditch effort to persuade the government of Japan to use the Windows operating system, rather than Linux, for its planned expansion of e-government. Last week, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates visited government ministries and committees in Tokyo to present the case for Windows, which many commentators believe will lose out to the open source Linux system. As well as being less expensive than a proprietary system, Linux has the advantage that its underlying code can be easily modified, an attractive factor for local governments. The e-Japan project is thought to be particularly valuable because it is expected to stretch beyond e-government services into public institutions, such as hospitals and schools.
South Korea launches m-government: South Korea's Ministry of Information and Communication is gearing up to launch a series of "m-government" projects, providing government information and services via mobile technology. The push for m-government goes hand-in-hand with new president Roh Moo-hyun's ambition to decentralise the administration, and wireless technology is expected to play a major part in the way local and central governments interact. The initiative aims to enable citizens to access administrative documents and other public services through their mobile phones, PDAs and other wireless devices. According to local media reports, the ministry has said it will invest WON75 billion (EUR57 million) in new projects this year.
Seattle librarians provide on-line advice: The Seattle Public Library has implemented an on-line "chat" service that allows library users to get real-time help from library staff. The "Live Help" initiative, funded by a USD30,000 grant allocated under the 1996 federal Library Services and Technology Act, was devised in response to the continuing fall in the number of users of the library's walk-in reference section. The service is also linked to specialist libraries the University of Washington Health Sciences Libraries and the King County Law Library, whose staff can also provide on-line advice.
Quelle: electricnews.net
