As the healthcare industry becomes increasingly reliant on digital technologies, IBM and Aramark have joined forces to help maintain and secure connected medical device ecosystems.
IBM will bring its expertise in security and support services to the table, while Aramark, a food services and facilities management company, will leverage its knowledge of clinical engineering and healthcare technology management.
As one example of their partnership in action, the entities will use analytics to identify when an MRI or X-ray machine is struggling. A technician will then be informed that the device needs to be repaired or replaced.
The ultimate goal of joining forces is, of course, to work toward better patient care.
“As IBM and Aramark move forward together, we are reminded that this partnership is built on a collective commitment to help healthcare providers deliver greater efficiencies to their clinical and enterprise IT support, optimize system reliability through proactive support and better address cybersecurity risks through regular, comprehensive assessments of critical network infrastructure,” the companies wrote in a blog post.
In other IBM news, the tech giant recently confirmed that a round of layoffs impacted its Watson Health unit. Spokesman Doug Shelton told The Herald Sun that the situation “affects a small percentage of our global Watson Health workforce as we move to more technology-intensive offerings, simplified processes and automation to drive speed.” He did not specify how many individuals lost their jobs.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
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