Today, Siemens Healthcare announced that the company has officially adopted the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Developer Code of Conduct. Released by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) EHR Association (EHRA), the code establishes transparent industry principles reflecting a continued commitment to support safe healthcare delivery, to recognize the value and impact that EHRs have for patients, and to operate with high integrity in the market. Siemens Healthcare, Health Services, will incorporate the principles of the EHR Developer Code of Conduct into U.S. operations.
“By adopting the EHR Developer Code of Conduct, Siemens Healthcare affirms many of its business practices that already were meeting the code’s underlying principles and demonstrates a commitment to developing solutions that are focused on meeting our customers’ needs and more importantly the needs of their patients,” said John Glaser, PhD, CEO, Siemens Healthcare, Health Services.
A number of the principles outlined in the EHR Developer Code of Conduct have already been in practice at Siemens Healthcare. For example, the Code of Conduct calls for a commitment to product design, development, and deployment in support of patient safety. Siemens employs a Quality Management System which is in compliance with 21 CFR Part 820 and that is certified to recognized international standards: ISO 9001 and ISO 13485. Siemens has also supported the development of a learning healthcare system and believes that the Code of Conduct is another important step toward achieving it.
“The Developer Code of Conduct highlights an increased accountability that healthcare organizations expect of their vendors,” said Dr. Glaser. “Providers today are facing an unparalleled demand to incorporate healthcare IT into their operations and care provision, necessitating an even more thoughtful approach to mutually assuring successful implementations, highlighting the need for interoperability and creating an opportunity for vendors and providers to learn from each other in a way that benefits patients.”
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 51,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2012 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 13.6 billion euros and profit of 1.8 billion euros.
