Philips acquires medical interoperability platform dev Forcare

Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG) said today it acquired open-standards-based interoperability software solutions developer Forcare for an undisclosed amount.

Forcare develops systems designed to enable data flow between medical systems, information sources and health information exchanges across health systems, Philips said.

Philips said the combination of its informatics solutions alongside Forcare’s interoperability platform will help it “strengthen its leadership in connecting patient information across the health continuum.”

“We have a leading position in building bridges between information systems, so that care providers can instantly share clinical results, images and letters. I am proud that our company will become part of Philips with its rich portfolio of clinical informatics solutions and vast global installed base. Joining Philips will accelerate achieving our vision: seamless, open standards-based interoperability in healthcare to empower both patients and care providers,” Forcare CEO Harm-Jan Wessels said in a prepared statement.

Forcare was founded in 2006 and has approximately 70 employees, with headquarters in the Netherlands and offices in Germany, the UK and Canada, Philips said.

“The global rise in hospital consolidation and large regional projects generate a significant increase in large tenders that inevitably require interoperability. The acquisition of Forcare will provide us with critical standards and interoperability expertise to interconnect healthcare information systems, share and exchange clinical data, and offer secure and reliable access to digital health information for medical staff and patients across multiple organizations and care settings,” Philips healthcare informatics biz leader Yair Briman said in a press release.

Late last month, Philips said that it agreed to deal 17.1 million shares in Philips Lighting for €32 per share (about $37.90 apiece), for total proceeds of roughly $648 million (€547 million), cutting its holdings in its legacy business from 40.97% to 29.01%.

The post Philips acquires medical interoperability platform dev Forcare appeared first on MassDevice.

from MassDevice http://ift.tt/2Axfs0p