Beijing Goodwill Information and Technology Co., Ltd., a leading provider of electronic cardiogram systems in China, and IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced the launch of the country's first all-in-one electronic cardiogram management system in China. This system supports smarter healthcare by helping hospitals to analyze patient information generated from electrocardiography (ECG) examination reports to gain real-time insight and better detect cardiovascular diseases with more accuracy. It also empowers doctors to use mobile devices to monitor heart patients.
Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, and other heart diseases resulting from disorders of the heart and blood vessels are the world's largest killers, claiming 17.1 million lives a year. The World Health Organization estimates that from 2006 to 2015, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes will cost China US$558 billion in national income.
This system is addressing the need for advanced healthcare information technology systems to help improve the management of ECG processes. For example, physicians are now able to deliver ECG tests and diagnoses by tapping into a databank of centralized ECG information available to them anywhere. Doctors can use mobile devices to access patient information such as a cardiogram report, and even view cardiogram images.
The new system is the latest example of IBM's collaboration with partners to use advanced analytics to improve medical research, diagnosis and patient care and to help reduce healthcare costs. The integration of patient data so doctors, patients and insurers can share information seamlessly and efficiently creates a smarter and connected healthcare system that delivers better care with fewer mistakes, predicts and prevents diseases, and empowers people to make better choices.
Enabled by IBM's technology, the new system includes the Beijing Goodwill's Electronic Cardiogram suite of professional applications and medical devices such as holter systems, treadmill stress machines and patient monitors as an all-in-one solution for hospitals.
After evaluating offerings from other IT companies including Oracle and Microsoft, Beijing Goodwill chose IBM analytics and DB2 database software as the technology backbone of the system. The software is compliant with XML standards, the data format of all other ECG systems, and international medical standards. Running on IBM System x server, it is optimized to ensure the flow of patient information for the entire ECG examination process.
Doctors are now able to retrieve and view patients' current and past cardiogram data, which is stored centrally, as well as medical reports, scientific research and teaching materials online. Additionally, the integrated analytics tools of the system automate the examination and online diagnosis of results in real time, helping physicians increase the speed and accuracy of their diagnosis. As a result of this high-level of integration, the system helps hospitals to diagnose more effectively, eliminate human errors, reduce cost, increase revenues, optimize resources, and enhance research and educational capabilities.
"Together with IBM, our company is leveraging technology to address the number one disease in China and worldwide," said Mr Xia Jun, President, Beijing Goodwill. "The new ECM system will benefit all physicians and patients by helping to improve the detection and management of cardiovascular diseases."
To address the rising demand for information technology-enabled healthcare solutions in China, IBM has opened a Healthcare Industry Solutions Lab in Beijing, where IBM experts work with medical service providers to develop healthcare and medical systems. IBM has also embarked on a global initiative to draw its expertise in system and information integration, services research, cloud computing, analytics and other emerging scientific areas to help physicians develop patient-centered healthcare systems. As part of this three-year initiative, valued at US$100 million, IBM is hiring medical doctors to work alongside its researchers.
Source: IBM