Wrap-up

This tutorial was intended to give attendees an understanding of:

• The basic choices in web application development.
• The security considerations in deploying a web-based application, and strategies for assessing these considerations in their own applications.
• A framework for analyzing the tradeoffs involved in deciding to deploy an application over the web, and should be able to apply this framework in their own setting.

Along with making the right technology choices for the right reasons, are some additional policy questions:

• What will it take to get public health and clinical users psychologically and technically ready for Web applications?
• How will public health functions (registries, HANs) integrate with or compete with other technology initiatives such as electronic medical records, eligibility/claims/payment systems?
• Where will funding come from? Who will obtain the value and benefits?
• How will issues of confidentiality and security of sensitive health data be handled with users working from home or other distributed work sites distant from institutional controls?
• Will the emphasis on JIT (just in time) delivery result in data quality shortcuts or improve data accuracy and integrity?
• Who will be the leaders? What kinds of skills and knowledge will need to be blended for effective leadership?