Open data as the new default | Government Health IT

The transparency movement is growing across the world. From government to corporate data, and healthcare especially stands to benefit, even as traditions are broken and openness leaves some incumbents perhaps a little uncomfortable. In the public sector, the latest open information proposal is in California, where voters are deciding whether to require local governments to meet state law for public access to meetings and records of government officials and to pay for it themselves. Local governments have been doing this, albeit with state funding, and have complained about now having to cover the costs. Supporters of Proposition 42 counter that making transparency the default — posting inspection reports and city council meeting minutes online, rather than having citizens request them — poses only minor costs.