Boston-based data and analytics startup BioBright and Royal Philips are working together to develop artificial intelligence-based solutions that could improve patient care through better analytics.

WHY IT MATTERS
By combining Philips solutions with BioBright’s secure voice and data processing technologies, the two companies aim to give clinicians better tools to input and access required patient information to deliver better care.

BioBright’s technology, which was initially developed with funds from DARPA, could help enable biomedical companies securely and privately collect and analyze data at scale.

The agreement follows a previous collaboration between the two companies through Philips’ HealthWorks program, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based innovation accelerator focused on creating partnerships between health technology startups.

The company’s HealthWorks startup program is designed to aid collaboration between Philips and smaller companies like BioBright, which together are working to find ways of break down data silos, integrate and process large volumes of data from multiple sources, regardless of vendor. 

"We can then present this data back in a manner that makes sense for the clinician, allowing them to get back to basics and giving them more time for human interaction with their patients," said HealthWorks head Alberto Prado in a statement.

THE LARGER TREND
Providing secure access to data sources while still respecting patient privacy is one of the biggest challenges currently facing the healthcare market, even while clinicians spend more time dealing with data entry across multiple systems.

Interoperability will be a key focus for health systems going forward. A recent study finds streamlining operating costs and improving related efficiency is a primary business concern for executives, but complicating the picture was the survey’s indication that healthcare organizations are not prepared to handle increased risk that interoperability and data sharing practices involve.

Earlier this month, Philips and UVM Health Network signed a 10-year deal in which UVM will gain access to clinical and business tools for improving the level of care they deliver to patients.

The partnership, designed to help break down data silos, includes Philips technologies and services such as PerformanceBridge, a suite of cloud based services, which can provide information related to key performance indicators such as  utilization rate, exam volume, and average change over time for selected imaging equipment.

ON THE RECORD
"Working with Philips allows us to better understand (privacy) complexities and how we can naturally integrate ambient information into the clinical data environment," BioBright CEO and founder Charles Fracchia said in a statement. "This lets us reduce administrative burdens and cognitive demands while putting the patient back at the center of healthcare."