Thoughts from MEDICA 2013

Author: Jeffrey Volkert

Healthcare Innovations and Trends

MEDICIA is the worlds largest medical trade fare and with over 137.000 visitors and more than 4.300 healthcare exhibitors, you can say thatMEDICAthis year’s MEDICA in Dusseldorf was a huge success. The 4.300 exhibitors were located on 116,000 m2 of exhibition space, which made it impossible for me to see everything in one day. Visitors obtained information on the entire spectrum of new products for high-quality, efficient medical care – ranging from medical technology and electro medicine, laboratory technology, physiotherapy products and orthopedic technology to health IT.

The innovations presented by MEDICA exhibitors clearly point to the fact that IT is increasingly penetrating the entire health care sector, including the patient sector. Examples include a great number of wireless solutions for real-time patient monitoring as well as compact telemedicine applications designed to be used at great distances from doctors’ offices and clinics. The choice of compact, easy-to-use devices for measuring various body parameters is growing rapidly. Data analysis for such devices is provided by matching health apps that run on smartphones or tablet PCs.

Yet, the more sensitive the data transferred, the more pressing the issue of data privacy. It is clear that physicians and patients for the most part probably feel safe about their data, at least when handled by the telematics infrastructure used for the electronic health card (eGK). In this case patient data are stored at the location where they were kept previously, as printed files – at the doctor’s office. Dell healthcare solutions offer industry leading, end-to-end security solutionsthat maintain accessibility for caregivers. With our unique blend of hardware, software, services and partners, Dell can help customers protect patient data whether that data is residing in a data center, or on an end user device such as a laptop or tablet. Dell can help protect patient data while expanding accessibility for authorized users.

Much attention this year at MEDICA was paid to the presentation of a hospital information system (HIS) equipped with newly designed features. Under the label of “United Web Solutions”, several companies offering specialized software have joined forces to develop a modern, web-based and cloud-ready system. Solutions such as this one might be capable of shaking up Germany’s HIS market, which has been described as “seized up”.

Another striking feature of the MEDICA 2013 was the large number of medical imaging innovations, particularly in the area of ultrasonics. From a low-priced entry-level device with premium features from the next higher class, to a high-end system for complex applications as an alternative to CT or MRI screening – purchasing managers were able to choose from any ever broader selection of devices.

From CTs to MRIs, ultrasound machines and more, Dell OEM has valuable experience in helping customers design solutions for the modality marketplace. For more than 25 years, Dell has played a critical role in transforming computing—enabling more affordable and more pervasive access to technology around the world. When it comes to healthcare, we have gone through a major transformation from a predominantly hardware player to an end-to-end solution provider.

What if

you could architect a healthcare-focused IT solution that was designed around the tenets of operational simplicity, run-anywhere design, and high modularity? And that as a result of these design tenets, you and your IT team have the ability to run all the applications you need to improve quality of service and assume greater responsibility for patients; the ability to expand and make changes on the fly; and the ability to administer these operations from pretty much anywhere you need? That is the Dell VRTX.

Picture1As a result of our continued commitment to and focus on healthcare, we have been ranked #1 in Healthcare IT services by Gartner (now 2 years in a row). More than 50% of the U.S. hospitals are our customers, including 15 of the top 25 health systems.

Dell OEM Solutions is a leader in the healthcare industry. We provide OEM services to more than 70 healthcare and life sciences software, medical device and scientific instrument providers. Dell OEM can help customers maintain global consistency and regulatory compliance while managing the ever-changing technology landscape.

Dell OEM offers an unparalleled combination of:

  • A dedicated OEM organization
  • A proven healthcare track record
  • Global supply chain and service capabilities
  • A rich portfolio of technologies backed by integration and deployment expertise.

If you want to learn more about Dell Healthcare, reach out to your local OEM contact.

About the Author: Samantha Needham