CHICAGO - Collaborating to improve the delivery of healthcare, the Continua Health Alliance (Continua) and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise International (IHE) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) to enable and promote interoperability of healthcare devices. Both Continua and IHE recognize the need for and benefit of connecting medical and patient care devices with the healthcare system, a synergy that supports the joint educational and marketing efforts between the organizations.

"Continua Health Alliance is dedicated to enabling a marketplace of connected, personal health solutions to empower consumers and patients to take control of their personal health," said David Whitlinger, Continua Health Alliance president. "We're excited to work with IHE to help make this connectivity at the enterprise level a reality so patients can stay connected to their healthcare providers."

New audiences: The agreement also helps both Continua and IHE expand their outreach to new audiences. Continua focuses on the personal telehealth industry with initial emphasis on fitness, managing chronic disease and aging independently. Within these groups are healthcare providers, insurance companies and government organizations, groups that IHE reaches through its programming and membership.
Continua complements the broad clinical-based IHE portfolio by addressing the consumer-directed personal health segment. Both organizations will be introduced to new constituencies who may not be familiar with their healthcare programs. Collaborative programs between the two organizations may include:

-Joint participation in the Interoperability Showcase at HIMSS09
-Webinars conducted by IHE and Continua for new audiences
-Development of educational materials on the value of interoperability

Those constituencies for Continua include patients, caregivers, and healthcare and fitness providers to help them better understand and address their ongoing health and wellness needs. With the goal to establish interoperability guidelines and its certification program, the organization focuses on ways to improve health and well being through every stage of life.

Through its framework that facilitates the exchange of digital patient health information, IHE improves the way computer systems in healthcare share information. In less than a decade, IHE has become a global organization for healthcare professionals and industry, with IHE specifications now being used in North America, Asia and Europe.

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