Key to Better Care Lies in Data Integration

Mergers and strategic alliances between patient monitoring systems manufacturers and information technology (IT) vendors will enable them to not only provide a wider range of products but also to increase their market share and improve patient care, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan (Palo alto, CA, USA), an international consulting firm.

"The integration of data from the medical devices, although laden with multitudinous challenges, holds the key to market success,” says Ms. Aarati Ajay, a senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "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 burdensome process of collecting patient data, medical reports, and billing information from different hospital units can be avoided by successfully integrating patient monitoring systems with IT systems. Integration would yield better work flow, and aid treatment decision-making through improved clinical data support. Another important aspect would be the cost advantages attached to the process of integrating IT systems with patient monitoring systems. A change in data protocols and a more innovative approach toward the formulation of standards for data formats are likely to accelerate the integration of the two platforms.

Current adoption rates of IT integration in hospital systems in Europe are less than 5%, mainly due to connectivity issues, since such efforts would require considerable investment by providers, along with the possibility of some providers having to move away from their core competencies. However, there is likely to be a radical change in terms of such integration in the healthcare industry within the next several years, since integration is likely to be the key to a better medical delivery process.



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