Medstory debuts on MSN Health and Fitness

bcrounse — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 21:23:00 GMT

Back in April I posted information on HealthBlog about Medstory, the medical search company that had recently been acquired by Microsoft. I interviewed Medstory founder and CEO, Dr. Alain Rappaport, who I have known for nearly a decade. Alain and I first met while I was co-founding a venture-backed technology company aimed at facilitating physician-patient communication and collaboration. Little did we know at the time that many years later our paths would cross once again under Microsoft's umbrella.

Dr. Rappaport called me last week to say that Medstory is now fully integrated with MSN’s Health and Fitness site. He wanted me to be among the first to know and invited me to take it for a test drive.

After navigating to MSN Health and Fitness, I initiated a search on Prostate Cancer. Right away, I noticed that my search yielded Medstory's unique and rather colorful “dashboard".

The dashboard is made up of categories. Under each category is a list of related health topics that are most pertinent to the search being performed. The color bar next to each topic illustrates its degree of relevance to the subject of the search. For instance, one of the categories for a search on Prostate Cancer is Tests and Procedures. The most relevant topic in that category is the PSA Test. When I click on PSA Test, I have the option of refining my search to include both Prostate Cancer and PSA Test, or PSA Test alone.

Should I decide to search for both terms, the most pertinent articles containing both terms will be revealed. I'm given similar choices each time I conduct a search adding a third, fourth, or fifth term to my list. I also have the option of jumping to articles that are associated only with the new term I'm selecting from the dashboard. I also have the choice of using a "Site Search Results" tab that only reveals articles on MSN, or "Health-Related Web Results" that will return health information from all across the worldwide web. Note that the categories include Complementary Therapies and Nutrition; two that will be especially popular with consumers.

Prior to founding Medstory, Dr. Rappaport had had an illustrious career in artificial intelligence research and data mining. He says he turned his attention to improving how consumers and clinicians find and use medical information because healthcare is an industry that is driven by information. It is not enough, he says, to provide links to information. Search engines must become intelligent enough to understand a user’s intent. “We need a web that knows versus one that just links”, said Dr. Rappaport. “We are moving the center of gravity of search to return an understanding of what the user wants. Our core objective is to provide meaningful information that is also actionable.”

Dr. Rappaport said he teamed up with Microsoft because of the opportunity to engage with customers and partners all around the world who are now coming forward to help us innovate and use this technology. “Even in parts of the world where populations are medically underserved", he said, "providing relevant and timely information, will make a difference”.

Of course, this is just the beginning of many health related applications and services for both consumers and medical professionals that you'll be seeing from Microsoft and our partners in the months and years ahead. But for now, the next time you are seeking information about health or wellness, navigate over to MSN Health and Fitness and take Medstory for a spin. I think you will like what you see.

Bill Crounse, MD Worldwide Health Director Microsoft Corporation

VO2 Max testing: Pro Sports Club Style

Tina — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:47:00 GMT

What's the true indication of being in great shape? I was spending many nights just like you wondering that same question. Then I went to Pro Sports Club where they were testing athletes and members for their VO2 Max. Your VO2 Max is a great indicator of the shape you are in. Lance Armstrong is known for being a bit of a superfreak and having an incredibly high VO2 Max. I wanted to check out the technology behind this test for myself.

Intel makes fitness fun

Tina — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:58:00 GMT

At CES this year Intel really flexed their fitness muscles. They showed off multiple ways to keep your body healthy while also keeping your mind entertained. Everything from heart rate monitoring to an actual workout is in their regimen. Take a look at the future of fitness.

Sweaty Techie (Heart Rate Monitors)

Duncan — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 17:00:00 GMT

So you want to get in shape, but all that running and sweating seems so lo-tech... Never fear, I'll show you how to bring your love of gadgets together with the need to get your body moving. Watch the show to learn about heart rate monitors featuring a new model from Polar and a cool gadget that links your TV to your exertion level. Then Tina, Laura and I head over to the Pro Sports Club to talk with Corey Weathers about how to use a heart rate monitor as part of your exercise program.

Links: EnterTrainer, Polar F11, Polar Personal Trainer, Pro Sports Club

Entries tagged with fitness - Channel 10

Medstory debuts on MSN Health and Fitness

VO2 Max testing: Pro Sports Club Style

Intel makes fitness fun

Sweaty Techie (Heart Rate Monitors)