Distinguishing strategies of top health IT firms

The article “Can You Say What Your Strategy is?” discusses the necessity of companies to be able to summarize their defined strategies as well as keeping it consistent.   As I had mentioned in a previous blog, 15 of us Health Care Policy and Management students attended the HIMSS’12 Annual Conference and Exhibition.  The exhibition part was beyond describable with over 1,100 vendors, and each health IT vendor there wanted to prove to the attendees that they were the best to give us their business.  How do they differentiate themselves to try and prove this?  What unique services do they have to offer? Below are the strategy outlines for 5 of the well-recognized vendors who were at the conference. 

Siemens:

Siemens particularly focuses on products including imaging, therapy systems, and diagnostic services.  Like other health it firms, it “focuses on strategies to increase both efficiencies and quality of care, while simultaneously reducing costs”.  It also has a long-term, sustainability strategy to create established innovative tools.  They repeat several times that they focus on high patient quality and safety.

http://www.medical.siemens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay~q_catalogId~e_-1~a_categoryId~e_16304~a_catTree~e_100005,16304~a_langId~e_-1~a_storeId~e_10001.htm

Allscripts

Allscripts’ approach is “One network, one platform, one patient”.  They focus on a single platform for patient care and records, providing a connected continuum for clinical, financial, and information solutions.  It also claims to encompass the “largest network of clients in healthcare”, with their clients being their number one value.  Outcomes is their number one focus.

http://www.allscripts.com/en/company/about-us.html

Epic

Epic’s approach is “Small client base, huge global impact”.  They focus on easy-to-use, interoperable, customized solutions for their clients.  A distinction about Epic is that they “develop, install and support all our applications in-house”.  They have a variety of skill sets on their leadership team, including clinicians, to make sure they understand the patients’ needs.

http://www.epic.com/about-index.php

Philips

Philips Healthcare has the approach of “People focused. Healthcare simplified.”   They “strive to improve quality of life and create value for individuals, communities and the company”.  Similarly to Siemens, they focus on imaging and quality care as well as home healthcare, but their repetitive tagline is that the people are always its main focus.

http://www.healthcare.philips.com/us_en/about/Company/whatwedo.wpd

 McKesson

McKesson’s mission is “advancing the health of the health care system by advancing the success of our partners”.  It focuses on both pharmaceuticals as well as health information technology.  McKesson is driven by its share principles of integrity, customer-first, accountability, respect, and excellence.   It claims that these “principles unite all employees at McKesson, connecting us across business units, geography and functional areas”. 

http://www.mckesson.com/en_us/McKesson.com/About%2BUs/About%2BUs.html