GE Healthcare recently launched a new global business unit that provides eHealth solutions and services to healthcare providers, health insurances and governmental agencies. Intended to streamline the collection and exchange of patient data among a wide range of clinical systems, the eHealth initiatives aim to facilitate evidence-based medicine and improve quality of care.

"With eHealth, we are working to develop standards-based infrastructure, a ground-breaking suite of collaborative services and clinical decision support tools that will empower providers and patients as never before," said Bernard Algayres, general manager eHealth at GE Healthcare IT for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Working with Germany-based ICW, GE Healthcare expanded its eHealth portfolio beyond imaging solutions. ICW's telemedicine and network solutions, patient identification and record management have added to GE Healthcare's eHealth systems. Clinical data is collected and consolidated in a global repository by GE Healthcare, and made available over the web to doctors and patients with enhanced security. Further technology includes care and disease management products that allow doctors to determine efficiency of care and remotely monitor patient health.

GE Healthcare's partnership with ICW has been a step toward greater connectivity within the healthcare industry, officials said, providing centralized management of medical data. "This application enables doctors from different institutions to access data centrally that pertains to patients in whose joint treatment they are involved," explained Peter Kirschbauer, chief executive officer of ICW.