CDC taps GE to monitor H1N1 activity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected GE Healthcare to monitor H1N1 and seasonal influenza activity within the United States.

The company said its Medical Quality Improvement Consortium, powered by GE Clinical Data Services, will collect information every 24 hours from a database of 14 million patient records. The EMRs will take note of flu symptoms, prescriptions and vaccinations administered. Age groups and pregnancy will also be documented.

With EMR data, not only is the company able to accelerate the reporting of aggregate health changes of the U.S. population, they are able to provide clinical data to health professionals, according to GE Healthcare IT Vice President and General Manager Jim Corrigan.

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The two companies aim to improve patient access to high-quality MRI scans by combining their artificial intelligence capabilities.