
International consolidation
Although much has been done in the last three or four months, iSoft needs to become a stronger global organisation, Gary Cohen emphasised.

Although much has been done in the last three or four months, iSoft needs to become a stronger global organisation, Gary Cohen emphasised.

The complete takeover of hospital laboratories through private laboratory service providers is rapidly changing the nature of German laboratories. Taking a closer look at these developments, it becomes apparent that several trends are developing.

As healthcare IT becomes increasing technologically complex, well-designed partnerships with vendors and service companies may be the most efficient and cost-effective means by which to operate, Dr Thomas Geisinger, Global Manager for e-Health Integration of Agfa Healthcare in Mortsel, Belgium, told attendees at the Hospital Management Symposium.

Hospitals concerned about the accuracy of utilization predictions of new diagnostic imaging equipment will be interested in pay-per-use financing that is being offered by global vendors. Eric-Jan Rutten, General Manager of Professional Healthcare Solutions of Philips Healthcare International in Eindhoven, Netherlands, described the approach that Philips takes with both large and very small…

The healthcare system is in a phase of transition - from planned economy to free market economy. Establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships is a crucial component of any ciable strategy in future business, explained Harald W Bachleitner, Managing Director of Initiative Gesundheitswirtschaft in Berlin, Germany, at the Hospital Management Symposium.

Ziehm Imaging, provider of mobile X-ray based imaging systems (C-arms) and the French medical technology company Praxim announced a strategic partnership to utilize long established intraoperative 3D imaging technology for navigated surgery.

The 2008 ECR promises to be international, controversial, inspiring, as well as a meeting in which new insights for inter-professional relationships and working practices are sought. The programme is impressive indeed.

Healthcare is in a dynamic state of change — and so is the healthcare industry, in which there is an increasing trend towards integrating scientific disciplines.

The EU eHealth initiative and action plan is the driver for patient information sharing and the networking of expertise across different institutions and countries. Launched in 2004, it will be applied in its current form till 2010.

The trend towards consolidation of healthcare services across a hospital, and across hospital groups, leads to the segmentation between core competences and those services that may be handled more efficiently by a third party.

The healthcare system is in a phase of transition - from planned economy to free market economy. Competition is becoming a challenge. Only entrepreneurs and enterprises that develop creative strategies will stay on top - or make it to the top.

By Maria Foster, Managing Director, Whitebridge Associates, Pittstown, NJ

As announced today, MEDRAD, an affiliate of Bayer HealthCare and a leading provider of contrast injection systems used to diagnose cardiovascular disease, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Possis Medical, leading provider of mechanical thrombectomy devices used to treat narrowed or blocked blood vessels. MEDRAD will acquire Possis Medical in a cash tender offer for US-Dollar…
Innovative Lösungen und neue Technologien diskutieren, Herausforderungen gemeinsam annehmen - dafür stehen die AFHdialogTAGE des Asklepios Future Hospital Programms (AFH). Die zweitägige Fachtagung findet am 28. und 29.Januar in Berlin statt.

The collaboration between two companies may pave the way for the development of new therapy options for neuroendocrine tumors: Covidien LTd, a global provider of healthcare products and BioSynthema Inc., a company specialized in the discovery and development of molecular targeted biophamaceuticals recently signed an agreement that will gain BioSynthema access to specific Covidien proprietary…

Merck Serono, a business division of Merck KgaA, will donate CHF 12.5 million for the endowment of three new chairs for neurodegenerative diseases, oncology and drug delivery at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). In addition a fund for scientific research will be established at EPFL.

Presented during a symposium at Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus, in Berlin, the European CLINICIP research project aims to develop a method to improve glycaemic control during intensive care and provide a low-risk monitoring and control system that can control the metabolism of the critically ill

In response to growing pressure on healthcare systems, Asklepios Clinics initially joined forces with Intel and Microsoft to establish the Asklepios Future Hospital (AFH) Programme.

Siemens in collaboration with the Rhön -Klinikum and the Fraunhofer ISST announced that in December, they will start an electronic case file (eFA) pilot project. For the first time data will be exchanged between two reputable chains of private clinic. This makes Siemens the first industry partner to have realised the eFA specification of the Fraunhofer ISST including peer-to-peer communication…
Novalis Tx, a system for stereotactic radiosurgery, has resulted from a partnership between the Munich-based medical technology company BrainLAB AG and Varian Medical Systems Inc, two firms that have successfully worked together on radiation therapy products for over a decade. The powerful linear accelerator Trilogy Tx and special technology for beam focusing was contributed by Varian; BrainLAB,…
Swedish IT and medical-technology company Sectra has signed an agreement with Vital Images under which Sectra will be able to integrate Vital Images' Vitrea software as part of Sectra PACS (picture archiving and communications systems).

Switzerland - An Artificial Organ Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research has been set up at the University of Bern, drawing together its established areas of expertise in medical technology.
IVAM is an international association of companies and institutes that specialise in microtechnology, nanotechnology and advanced materials.

GS1 is the leading global standards organisation in the healthcare industry. In 56 countries worldwide, GS1 standards have been chosen to identify pharmaceutical products uniquely. Major regulatory bodies have endorsed them, including those in the US, Japan and the UK . It standards improve patient safety and reduce costs in the healthcare supply chain. Automatic product identification on all…
The ERSPC is the world's biggest study of screening of prostate cancer. It involves up to 260,000 men, 220,000 of them in the age group 55-75 years old. Professor Chris Bangma, Director of the ERSPC and Chairman of the urology department at the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam (headquarters of the ERSPC) explains the study's background and aims