To augment the strategies already implemented and presently in progress, we recommend the following: 1. The integration of data from all GE Healthcare’s Integrated IT Solutions, including the Centricity line of solutions, into one database. Provided the clients will allow such integration, this will enable all its clients to access a secure database for medical research purposes. Because the information of patients under medical care is rich in diagnostic and therapeutic outcome data, it can serve as a reliable source for clinical guidelines and protocols.
It will benefit GE Healthcare as it will give the company an updated and enormous database that can be used to facilitate research and development of other products in the pipeline of their business units, as well as provide valuable information for medical research in other fields. 2. As a supplement to this recommendation, it may be beneficial for the company to create alliances and affiliations or perhaps initiate acquisition protocols for an existing software company specializing in database management solutions.
Having a strong and long-term partnership with such a company will not only ensure a more successful implementation of a total medical database, but can also provide the Integrated IT Solutions Business unit additional expertise in developing its IT based medical solutions. 3. Creating an infrastructure to allow interconnectivity of existing as well as new products directly to the database. For instance, it may be possible for GE Healthcare to standardize connectivity of all its products to any personal computer via a USB connection.
This means that data gathered of diagnostic images such as MRI and other radiographic images are easily available for viewing in remote areas. Being directly linked to the IT solutions makes the information transfer virtually instant, enabling physicians to get specialist opinions on cases and provide speedy and reliable diagnosis. GE Healthcare business units, such as the Diagnostic Imaging business, should also develop products that can be operated by non-medical personnel.
For instance, it may be possible to create a system of solutions will enable people to do primary executive checkups at home. This would entail the development of machines that are simple to operate, possibly as simple as putting the patient‘s hand on a scanner, and capable of deriving ECG, blood pressure or body temperature data. Another futuristic concept would be a machine that could do a full blood chemistry workup of patients from a single strand of hair or a blanket-like X-ray machine that can take radiographic images by wrapping it around the body.
Palmeri (2007) contends that enabling connectivity for all these space-age products to a PC connected to the Internet means that test results can be sent directly to the central database and checked by the patient’s doctors. 4. Creation of an over-all web portal for GE healthcare customers, subsidiaries, and affiliates, to allow for free exchange of information and other resources. In conjunction with internal interoperability, an Internet-wide collaboration is made possible with the use of web portals. This will also serve as the engine to allow access to the database stated above.
With the existing web presence of the company, this should not be difficult to conceive. The key areas of concerns in implementing this portal are inclusion of existing web sites of the company, possibility of merging certain functions for better organization of information, security of data, and ease of use for the clients. Although initially for use of GE Healthcare customers and suppliers, certain areas and functions of the portal should eventually be open to other internet users as a window to medical information. 5.
The company should also consider affiliating, if not acquiring, an existing web portal company with vast experience in developing and maintaining email services, search engines, on-line security, and other Internet related functions. This will give GE Healthcare additional expertise in setting up the infrastructure for this huge web portal. 6. Create a market for the GE Healthcare Financial Services geared towards medical practices with fewer than five physicians. The concept of Centricity Enterprise Remote Services is a good one and should be extended.
The financial services extended by GE Healthcare at this point are for large institutions. It is recommended that smaller scale financial services be provided for this same segment of the medical community, in which clinics and outreach medical services can acquire medical technologies that would otherwise be beyond their capabilities. This would be in line with the recommendations for an integrated database, which would be enriched by data from hitherto untapped sources, such as clinics and “cottage” hospitals in rural areas.
Implementation of these recommendations would be very beneficial to both GE Healthcare as well as its customers. The aim of the creation of the web portal should be geared towards the creation of a medical community where, patients, medical professionals, health care organizations, and health care products developers and manufacturers can meet and exchange information under the leadership of GE Health. This will also enhance GE health’s status as the standard in the advancement of healthcare world wide.
Lastly it will create the mechanism for future development of products and services for faster and easier detection and prevention of diseases. Conclusion GE Healthcare is currently in a leading position as a reliable and consistent provider of high quality medical equipment and technology that has facilitated medical care in large healthcare solutions. It has also been proactive in developing solutions that would benefit smaller medical practices as well as providing access to at least some part of the technology to the largely untapped market of developing countries.
However, this reach can be further extended by applying principles of distribution used in the Centricity Enterprise Remote Services concept to financial services. With current research and development efforts, it is unlikely that GE Healthcare would ever fall behind in terms of any technological advancement in the field of healthcare. However, in its extensive usage of information technology, GE Healthcare has the tools to take full advantage of its present capabilities to step up the pace in information transfer and research initiative.
Based on the recommendations above, integration and interoperability of the existing systems is the key to creating a globally supported medical system that need not be concentrated nor confined to developed countries. Smaller institutions and clinics may also contribute to the consolidation of medical knowledge. With software solutions readily available for customized functionality, and web-based portals making connectivity as easy as the click of the mouse from any part of the globe, GE Healthcare can expect to expand its market beyond its present customer base to other developed and developing countries
References
Frost & Sullivan recognizes GE Healthcare’s leadership as a technology provider across the physician-based practice market. (2007, May 7) PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved June 13, 2007 from http://www. prnewswire. com/cgi-bin/stories. pl? ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-07-2007/0004582328&EDATE= GE Healthcare eases electronic medical record implementation for mid-size hospitals with Centricity Enterprise Remote Hosting Service. (2007) General Electric Company. Retrieved June 13, 2007 from http://egems. gehealthcare. com/proom/internet/NewsandEvents. jsp? release_id=10832