Partnerships between Patient Monitoring Systems Manufacturers and IT Vendors to Determine Successful Device Integration

Frost: Healthcare IT vendors in Europe are expanding their product portfolios through mergers and strategic alliances with information technology (IT) service providers as well as clinical information system vendors. By creating customised solutions, market participants will not only be able to provide a wide range of products, but also increase their market share.

The integration of data from the medical devices, although laden with multitudinous challenges, holds the key to market success. The assimilation of data is becoming mandatory due to an ever-increasing interest in integrating patient data into one common data pool that clinicians can access to make informed judgments on the future course of treatments.

The cumbersome process of procuring essential information, collecting medical reports and paying the bill at different units in a hospital setup can be avoided by successfully integrating patient monitoring systems with IT ones. Eventually, such a system is expected to help in not only regulating records of patients’ vital information, but also in monitoring budgetary spends and streamlining the hospital’s workflow.

Hospital administrators, medical staff and even patients are likely to profit from the integration of data into a common source. In addition to better work flow and clinical data support for superior decision making, there are proven cost advantages also attached to the process of integrating IT systems with patient monitoring ones.

However, connectivity issues are restraining device manufacturers and clinical systems vendors from being proactive in integrating medical devices with IT. Vendors in both the fields, patient monitoring as well as the information systems, are reluctant to devise a solution for connectivity problems since such efforts would require considerable investment along with the possibility of moving away from their respective core competencies.

A change in data protocols and a more innovative approach towards the formulation of standards for data formats are likely to accelerate the integration of the two platforms. Establishing a level of agreement among market participants towards faster formulation and adoption of uniform data standards is expected to ensure a stable and secure market.

While current adoption rates of IT integration in hospital systems is less than 5 per cent, there is likely to be a radical change in terms of such integration in the healthcare industry by 2008. Despite the ambiguity relating to the technical possibilities of assimilating medical systems with more networking capabilities, integration is likely to be the key to a better medical delivery process. A symbiotic association between the various stakeholders in the market holds the key to success for the integration of patient monitoring systems with IT in Europe.

Integration of Patient Monitoring Systems with IT in Europe Publ 20060320