Forbes – IBM Watson, Siemens Partner to Tap Population Health Industry

Forbes — IBM and Siemens announced a 5-year “global strategic alliance” to better manage patient populations. IBM is looking to tap into Siemens’ vast customer base and Business Insider reported that “the company is involved in more than 70% of “critical clinical decisions” thanks to Siemens instruments. This move is being driven in part by the industry shift to value-based reimbursement and away from the legacy fee-for-service model.

Watson offers the promise of better diagnoses leading to better outcomes which can improve reimbursement. A 60 Minutes segment on artificial intelligence last week highlighted Watson’s current work supporting the cancer center at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. Watson may also enable more efficient patient service creating a better cost structure for medical providers. LINK