Philips enhances its clinical informatics portfolio with the acquisition of interoperability provider Forcare

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced that it has acquired Forcare, a leading innovator in open-standards-based interoperability software solutions for fast and flawless data flows between medical systems and information sources at the departmental and enterprise levels, as well as Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) [1] across health systems. Forcare and its team will provide highly complementary capabilities for Philips, and will enable Philips to deliver more effective, seamlessly integrated informatics solutions that improve clinical workflow, enhance patient care and optimize enterprise management. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

As hospital and health systems continue to consolidate, the need for seamless enterprise integration is paramount for delivering efficient, quality care. The combination of Philips’ advanced clinical informatics solutions for data (e.g. IntelliSpace Universal Data Manager), workflow (e.g. IntelliSpace PACS), visualization (e.g. Illumeo) and interoperability (e.g. IntelliBridge Enterprise), and Forcare’s complementary interoperability platform will enable Philips to strengthen its leadership in connecting patient information across the health continuum.  

“The global rise in hospital consolidation and large regional projects generate a significant increase in large tenders that inevitably require interoperability,” said Yair Briman, business leader Healthcare Informatics at Philips. “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.”

“We have a leading position in building bridges between information systems, so that care providers can instantly share clinical results, images and letters,” said Harm-Jan Wessels, CEO of Forcare. “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 was founded in 2006 and employs approximately 70 employees. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands and has satellite offices in Germany, the UK and Canada. Hospitals, and HIEs in general, around the world are using Forcare’s software to manage their data exchange and streamline workflows. 

[1] Health Information Exchange (HIE) provides the capability to electronically move clinical information among disparate healthcare information systems, and maintain the meaning of the information being exchanged (source: http://www.himss.org/library/health-information-exchange/FAQ; accessed December 2017).