Healthcare Technology Featured Article

December 11, 2013

Global Healthcare Stakeholders Showing Interest in Standards-based Interoperability and Communications


IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a standards-setting body within IEEE that serves the global needs of industry, government, and the public recognizes new interest among industry and government alike to get seamless framework for standards-based ‘e-Health’.

Today, hospitals, clinics, and small practice establishments are seeking device data to be more complete, standardized, detailed, accurate, and interoperable to ensure patient’s health and improve clinical outcome.

IIEEE-SA states that tens of billions of dollars a year reportedly slip through the cracks in interoperability and connectivity among medical devices in the United States alone. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized interoperability-related standards in its guidance to the healthcare industry.

Konstantinos Karachalios, managing director, IEEE-SA said in a statement, “Aging population, urgency to get control of healthcare costs and innovation in monitoring and telemedicine capabilities are among the forces influencing this basic, historic shift in strategy. Standards-based interoperability and communications among medical devices is the platform on top of which this global transformation will play out, and it is evident that there is more market determination than ever to get such a foundation in place.”

 Certainly, the ability for health information to be shared among devices and enterprise health systems is main pointer to improve patient safety, managing health and lower cost.

The West Health Institute revealed in a March 2013 that standards-based interoperability among medical devices “could be a source of more than $30 billion a year in savings and improve patient care and safety.

The IEEE 11073 standards continues to expand support for interoperable medical-device communications  and assist in the support of patients living independently with chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, high blood pressure, stroke and trial fibrillation.

Earlier this year, the IEEE-SA signed a collaborative agreement with Continua Health Alliance to accelerate and broaden the adoption of relevant standards-based technologies for the healthcare arena.




Edited by Ryan Sartor
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