IMS introduces new Institute for Healthcare Informatics

IMS Health today introduced the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics - a new initiative that will leverage collaborative relationships in the public and private sectors to strengthen the vital role of information in advancing healthcare globally. The IMS Institute is focused on objective, relevant insights and research that will accelerate understanding and innovation critical to sound decision making and improved patient care. With access to the company's extensive global data assets and analytics, the IMS Institute will work in tandem with government agencies, academic institutions, the life sciences industry and payers to drive a research agenda dedicated to addressing today's healthcare challenges.

The IMS Institute's focus areas of research are:

• The use of information by healthcare stakeholders globally to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and increase access to available treatments.
• The performance of medical care through a better understanding of disease causes, treatment consequences and measures to improve quality and cost of healthcare delivered to patients.
• The future global role for biopharmaceuticals, the dynamics that shape the market and implications for manufacturers, public and private payers, providers, patients, pharmacists and distributors.
• The role of innovation in health system products, processes and delivery systems, and the business and policy systems that drive innovation.
• The advancement of healthcare agendas in developing nations based on information and analysis.

"The transformation of healthcare systems to better serve the needs of patients worldwide can be energized through a tighter linkage between information and decisions," said Murray Aitken, who heads the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. "Through the Institute, we have a tremendous opportunity to ensure that the best available information - including IMS's unparalleled data and analytical assets - is applied to myriad issues that impact healthcare in every country around the world."

The output of the IMS Institute will be a combination of published reports and research papers, as well as proprietary research. The first report, HealthIQ - The Frontiers of Healthcare Advancement, released today, features recently published research supported by IMS. It presents an updated assessment of patterns and effects in the diffusion of innovation; an overview of evolving techniques and approaches in comparative effectiveness research; a review of the impact of regulatory advisories and guidelines on clinical practice; and a summary of insights from a decade of medication adherence research.

The IMS Institute will incorporate the company's existing Health Services Research Network - a consortium of academic researchers in medicine, health economics and public health that applies evidence-based information to address key healthcare issues. In addition, the Institute will have a specific focus on China, where a team will collaborate with government agencies and institutions to enhance the role of information in policymaking and healthcare improvement.