UPMC embarks on innovative technology partnerships

With the signing of two major technology deals this fall, UPMC is moving quickly to create a truly seamless way of communicating critical information to improve patient care. Both agreements also include joint development efforts that will commercialize innovative products for the health care industry.

UPMC announced an $84 million initiative in October with dbMotion, a provider of Web-based data sharing and integration technology. With dbMotion’s award-winning technology, UPMC will create a platform that allows clinicians to access integrated patient information across all of its hospitals, outpatient sites, and doctors’ offices, without replacing existing systems.

The result is expected to be a model of health care interoperability for the nation. Most importantly, physicians will have current, relevant patient information and advanced decision support tools at the point of care. As part of the deal, UPMC is making an investment in dbMotion, based in Israel, and the company will move its U.S. headquarters to Pittsburgh. The two partners also will work on developing interoperability solutions for the health care industry.

Creating reliable communications

A separate $300 million, multi-year agreement with French telecommunications giant Alcatel promises to create a single voice, data, and video network for the health system. The current, fragmented network involves more than 150 phone systems, 31 voice mail systems, and 26 call centers, which can’t always communicate with one another. The goal is to ensure rapid and reliable communications in whatever form is most appropriate for clinicians and patients. The new network also will enable the adoption of advanced features, such as remote patient monitoring. Much of this transformation is expected to be completed within four years. 

Like UPMC’s agreements with dbMotion, IBM, and Cerner, the Alcatel pact includes a joint development effort that will produce innovations for health care and new revenues to support UPMC’s core health care mission. Alcatel and UPMC will each invest $25 million to develop advanced communications technologies. The initial focus will be on solutions that ensure reliable public health networks in the event of a crisis.

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