Skip to main content

Loss of an Early Informatics Visionary

I am saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Burton "Bud" Rose due to complications of Covid-19. Dr. Rose was the creator of the well-known UpToDate online medical information system, which is used by clinicians around the world. I played a tiny role in the development of UpToDate by programming its first search capability. In the late 1980s, I was a postdoctoral fellow in medical informatics at Brigham & Women's Hospital, working in the lab of my mentor, Dr. Robert Greenes. Dr. Rose, a kidney specialist, came to Dr. Greenes seeking help to add a searching capability to a collection of "cards" of information about kidney diseases he had collated in an Apple Hypercard Stack. My research had been focusing, then as now, on information retrieval (search) systems. It was relatively straightforward to connect a simple system I had programmed to index and retrieve from the information in the cards. It was a marvel at the time to be able to type in a few words and get medical information, years before the onset of the World Wide Web and Google.

I ultimately finished my fellowship and moved on to Oregon, and the development of UpToDate was taken over by a fellowship colleague, Dr. Joseph Rush, who stayed on the project for years as it matured into a commercial product that expanded to all of medicine. In 2008, UpToDate was acquired by the large publisher, Kluwer. I had not seen Dr. Rose in many years, but he continued to be a vibrant clinician and educator until his recent retirement.

UpToDate is still widely used and revered in medical settings around the world. I believe its real value is in its content. While its modern search functionality is excellent, what really draws clinicians to it is the quality of its content that can be used to make clinical decisions based on rapid access to high-quality information.

from Informatics Professor https://ift.tt/2xXZduo
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bath Iron Works starts building new Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer USS J. William Middendorf

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has started construction of the future USS J. William Middendorf (DDG 138), a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that will strengthen the U.S. Navy’s missile-defense and escort capacity during sustained operations in the Red Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific. The ceremonial first steel cut took place in Maine on May 19, 2026, as the Navy continues relying on Flight III destroyers equipped with the SPY-6 radar and Aegis Baseline 10 combat system to replace the air defense and command role of retiring Ticonderoga-class cruisers ahead of the future DDG(X) program.  Read full defense news at this link... USS J. William Middendorf belongs to the Flight III configuration that began with USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first Flight III destroyer commissioned in October 2023. (Picture source: US Navy) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/tSRkVWI via IFTTT

U.S. Army Conducts Gunnery Exercise With Latest Air Defense System Sgt Stout.

U.S. Army officials confirmed that a live gunnery exercise at Fort Hood, Texas, is underway, featuring the latest-generation Sgt Stout short-range air defense system. The drills mark a significant step toward full operational integration as units across the force adapt to evolving threats from drones, rotary-wing aircraft, and low-flying munitions. It matters because Sgt. Stout enhances the Army’s ability to defend forward-deployed troops and critical infrastructure from modern aerial threats. Read full Defense News at this link ... A U.S. Army SGT Stout SHORAD air defense vehicle maneuvers into firing position during live-fire training with the 6th Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas, on October 3, 2025. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/NYmsS1n via IFTTT

US-built first Saudi MMSC frigate HMS Saud launched at Fincantieri’s shipyard

According to information published by the Saudi Ministry of Defense on December 18, 2025, the first Multi-Mission Surface Combatant frigate constructed in the United States for the Royal Saudi Navy has been officially launched at Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. The ship, designated HMS Saud with pennant number 820 and also known as Jalalat Al-Malik Saud in honor of King Saud, is the lead vessel in a four-ship program ordered under Project Tuwaiq through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales framework, a deal that defense officials have repeatedly described as a cornerstone of bilateral naval cooperation. Read more.   The HMS Saud (820) has an overall length of approximately 118 meters, in some sources detailed as 118.6 meters, with a beam of 17.6 meters, a draft of about 4.3 meters, and a full-load displacement estimated at roughly 3,600 tonnes. (Picture source: Saudi MoD) Read full Defense news.  from World Defence News https://ift....