Microsoft Amalga and Philips iSite PACS Connected Solution in the Works

A Microsoft Amalga and Philips iSite PACS connected solution will be made available to organizations in the healthcare sector that desire to increase data accessibility for their radiologists.

Microsoft and Philips have inked an agreement which will have the two companies work in concert to bridge Amalga and iSite PACS and also configure and market the resulting solution in tandem.

When the final product becomes available, it will enable radiologists to get easy access to patients’ clinical data right from the Philips iSite Radiology viewer, with the information being provided via Amalga.

Obviously, Microsoft Amalga will be responsible for a variety of tasks related to serving patient data through iSite, including aggregation and display.

“To make strides in healthcare delivery, we need to break down the artificial walls around health data and enable it to flow to the right people at the right time throughout the care process,” explained Nate McLemore, general manager of business development, Microsoft Health Solutions Group.

“Our relationship with Philips is centered on this approach. We’re excited to combine the strengths of our technologies to help empower clinicians to drive improvements in the efficiency and quality of care.”

At this point in time the Philips iSite PACS, a picture archiving and communication system, does not allow radiologists to have a comprehensive view over a patient’s data.

Instead, getting to the information involves tapping a range of disparate information systems, running independently from one another.

By connecting iSite and Amalga, Microsoft and Phillips make an important step forward in terms of interoperability in the healthcare industry.

“Philips and Microsoft have a unique opportunity to give radiologists a new level of insight about the patient while reducing steps in their workflow,” added Scott Burkhart, vice president of marketing, Healthcare Informatics North America, for Philips Healthcare.

“Interoperability is one of our core strategies, and enabling our iSite PACS and Amalga systems to work together can enhance analytics capabilities, enabling the radiology department to gain a deeper understanding of performance and identify opportunities to improve throughput and efficiency.”