A new agreement among nine medical device manufacturers may lead to improved interoperability and safety of future healthcare products. At the first annual Patient Safety Science & Technology Summit in Laguna Beach, California, medtech companies discussed how stronger relationships would improve patient safety in the healthcare industry.

Bill Clinton, former President of the United States of America, was the keynote speaker at the event. In his speech, he said, "I know that none of you want to be part of a system that leaves us sicker and broke.” He continued, "The promise of science and technology is important, but we have to develop the right mindset – one that says we have to work together, one that says we need networks, one that says we've got to share data, not hoard it."

Improved device interoperability may reduce annual patient deaths in the U.S. due to medical errors by 200,000 or more. By coordinating efforts to leverage technology, companies can work together to create better health infrastructure with improved patient feedback and monitoring.

"I pledge, on behalf of myself and my company, to do what we can to interface and share patient health information across different devices and platforms to help provide comprehensive patient health information to caregivers to assist them in making treatment decisions. This is my pledge to making a better healthcare system."
Stefan Dräger, chairman & CEO, Dräger

"We pledge to improve patient safety by allowing medical industry companies and healthcare providers to access patient data by maintaining open interfaces that enable third party devices and systems to communicate with GE Healthcare patient monitors, therapy devices and clinical information systems. I am personally encouraged to see the partnership and mutual commitment of the medical industry and clinical providers to do the right thing for patients, everywhere. This is GE Healthcare's pledge and we invite our hospital providers and industry partners to join in the pursuit of zero preventable deaths."
Tom Gentile, president & CEO, Healthcare Systems; senior vice president, GE Healthcare

"I pledge, on behalf of myself and my company, to make the clinical data stored in my company's products, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to anyone or any entity that wants to use it to improve patient care. And I expect to be held accountable for this pledge by others in the industry."
Paul Gorup, co-founder & chief of innovation, Cerner

"I pledge, on behalf of myself and my company, to make the physiological parameters displayed by my company's products, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to anyone or any entity that wants to use it to improve patient care. And I expect to be held accountable for this pledge by others in the industry."
Richard Packer, CEO, Zoll Medical

"I pledge, on behalf of myself and my company, to make the physiological parameters displayed by my company's products, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to anyone or any entity that wants to use it to improve patient care. And I expect to be held accountable for this pledge by others in the industry."
Joe Kiani, founder, chairman & CEO, Masimo

"I pledge on behalf of myself and my company to make the information available from my company's products, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to others in the industry for their use to help make a better healthcare system."
Srini Seshadr , president, Smiths Medical

"I pledge, on behalf of my company, to make the physiological parameters displayed by my company's products, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to anyone or any entity that wants to use it to improve patient care. And I expect to be held accountable for this pledge by others in the industry."
Marcelo Lameg , chief technology officer, Cercacor

"I pledge, on behalf of myself and my company, to make the physiological parameters displayed by my company's products, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to anyone or any entity that wants to use it to improve patient care. And I expect to be held accountable for this pledge by others in the industry."
Kevin Goodwin, president & CEO, SonoSite

"I pledge, on behalf of myself and my company, to make the surgical sponge count summary information displayed by my company's handheld mobile computers, subject to all applicable privacy laws, available to anyone or any entity that wants to use it to improve patient care. And I expect to be held accountable for this pledge by others in the industry.
Brian Stewart, president & CEO, SurgiCount Medical

References

www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medical-technology-leaders-at-inaugural...