Siemens Healthineers has announced a digital platform for healthcare providers as well as for providers of solutions and services, aimed at covering the entire spectrum of healthcare.
At the Health IT Conference (HIMSS) 2017 in Orlando, Siemens Healthineers presented the platform as a tool to foster the growth of a digital ecosystem linking healthcare providers and solution providers with one another as well as bringing together their data, applications and services.
“Digitalisation in healthcare is expected to drive the much needed change towards widespread value-based care and dramatically reduced cost,” Dr. Arthur Kaindl, Head of Digital Health Services at Siemens Healthineers told HealthManagement.org. “Prerequisites for achieving these goals are amongst others instant transparency of clinical and operational performance and insights based on relevant data to address the healthcare provider’s biggest challenges. Another important point is the need for benchmarking across healthcare providers' clinical and operational value chains on a regional, national or even global level. Last but not least it is obvious that the exchange of experience is vital in improving outcomes for patients, particularly when it is about treating more complex diseases. The Digital Ecosystem of Siemens Healthineers is targeting these needs by linking healthcare providers and solution providers with one another as well as bringing together their data, applications and services.”
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In the Siemens Healthineers Digital Ecosystem, data from imaging, in-vitro diagnostics and medical documentation is combined and assessed. This data is generated in one of the healthcare industry's largest installed bases, i.e. the Siemens Healthineers customers who have agreed to participate in the ecosystem. Furthermore it will allow its users to exchange data and knowledge with other experts beyond their own institution. With the Digital Ecosystem Siemens Healthineers aims to set new trends in healthcare together with its customers and partners to enable healthcare providers around the world to meet their current challenges and to excel in their respective environments.
“A good example is the connection of physicians to peers that are not located in the same healthcare unit or network,” said Kaindl. “Such an exchange could be beneficial for many reasons including getting a second opinion on a diagnostic question. In this case a clinical image might have to be shared. This should be as easy as sending an email. But the reality is that it often proves almost impossible because of e.g. data security reasons. In the Siemens Healthineers Digital Ecosystem this exchange is as simple as clicking a button. A simple example: Instead of loading clinical images on data CD-Roms and sending it via postal service to the peer, you would share it via the digital ecosystem with the corresponding expert, receive the essential expertise immediately and get back to the patient faster than usually would be the case.”
Through the Digital Ecosystem, Siemens Healthineers will provide its customers with aggregated data which are usable for different evaluations. For example the tools for predictive analysis from Siemens Healthineers can enable users to discern new correlations and trends to help improve diagnoses and guide therapy choices.
Partners already on board include: Arterys, Dell EMC, SecondOpinions.com, Stroll Health, SyntheticMR, 3D Slicer, TMC, USARAD and Viewics.
“We are looking into our huge network in the healthcare industry to promote our idea of the digital ecosystem. We certainly come with many assets which make us attractive to possible providers of applications and solutions," Kaindl explained. "We, for example, offer access to one of the largest data pools from imaging, in-vitro diagnostics and medical documentation. We have a global customer base in most countries of the world. Last but not least collaborating with us means tapping into more than 120 years of healthcare experience in nearly all clinical areas, and a performant infrastructure to support our partners business.“
Source: Siemens Healthineers
Image Credit: Siemens Healthineers
