Strategic alliance creates home monitoring platform

According to a press release, this new platform has already spawned two clinical applications–Philips eCareCoordinator and Philips eCareCompanion–both scheduled to be launched later this summer. The apps are designed to give caregivers the ability to monitor those with chronic conditions in their homes while also serving as a companion to Philip's Hospital to Home clinical programs for accountable care organizations.

It is the hope of both companies that this new secure and scalable platform will enable the integration of data from multiple sources including electronic health records, diagnostic and monitoring equipment and personal mobile devices, as well as spawning new apps covering the entire continuum of healthcare.

"With this strategic alliance, Philips is making great strides to deliver real-time, digital healthcare solutions," said Frans van Houten, Royal Philips' CEO. "Healthcare data exists in many different forms and in many different systems today. Together with salesforce.com, we have a tremendous opportunity to reshape and optimize the way healthcare is delivered and provide better access to data across the continuum of care."

Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, added: "We have entered a new transformative era for healthcare, and technology is enabling the industry to connect to, care for and engage with patients and each other in a profound new way. Together with Philips, we are creating an open health platform and ecosystem to benefit everyone that cares about one of the most important issues of our time."