How AWS Cloud Tech is Helping Philips Transform Healthcare

Hospitals and medical facilities face mounting pressure to process growing volumes of medical imaging data as diagnostic techniques become more sophisticated. Healthcare providers must store and analyse thousands of high-resolution scans while providing rapid access to medical teams across multiple locations.

The shift towards cloud computing in healthcare has accelerated as traditional on-premises systems struggle to handle increasing data loads from modern imaging equipment. Medical imaging departments now generate terabytes of data from X-rays, MRI scans, and digital pathology slides, creating challenges for storage, processing and sharing.

Against this backdrop, Dutch healthcare technology manufacturer Philips is expanding its collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing division of Amazon, to move its diagnostic imaging portfolio to cloud-based services.

The partnership focuses on migrating medical imaging systems, including radiology, digital pathology and cardiology solutions, to cloud infrastructure. Philips has transferred more than 150 healthcare facilities in North and South America to its HealthSuite Imaging platform, which runs on AWS cloud services.

Healthcare providers face increasing pressure from rising patient numbers and growing complexity in medical imaging. Each patient scan now generates more images, requiring additional storage and processing capabilities.

Philips and AWS target medical imaging efficiency

The initiative enables healthcare providers to access diagnostic images, including X-rays, MRI scans and pathology slides, through cloud-based storage systems rather than on-premises servers. This approach allows medical staff to view and analyse patient data from multiple locations.

The cloud-based system provides a unified view of patient data from different diagnostic sources. Medical teams can access diagnostic tools, reporting systems and workflow management applications remotely, supporting collaboration between departments.

Matt Garman, CEO of AWS, says: “The collaboration between Philips and AWS gives healthcare providers scalable, secure-by-design cloud-enabled solutions to accelerate healthcare innovation. Combining Philips' healthcare informatics portfolio with AWS generative AI capabilities gives clinicians access to imaging insights so they can deliver more effective and efficient care to patients anywhere, anytime, with best-in-class security and privacy.”

AWS and Philips develop AI-powered medical reporting

The companies are developing applications using generative AI, which will integrate with Amazon Bedrock, AWS's foundation model service, to assist medical professionals with administrative tasks.

One application in development focuses on conversational reporting, which allows medical staff to dictate findings using natural language. The system then converts speech into structured medical reports, incorporating patient history and clinical context.

The AI system can flag potential inconsistencies in reports and assist with real-time revisions. This automation aims to reduce the time medical professionals spend on administrative work, allowing them to focus on patient care and diagnostic interpretation.

Edward Steiner, Chief and Medical Director at The York/WellSpan Advanced Prostate Care Center in the United States, says: “With Philips' concept of ambient reporting using generative AI, you simply could speak in a conversational tone and a structured report is generated within seconds. My estimate is a 15 to 20 percent increase in efficiency, and this is just the start.”

European expansion follows Americas success

The collaboration marks an expansion into European markets, following deployment in the Americas. The companies plan to support healthcare providers across Europe in migrating their imaging systems to cloud infrastructure.

Philips HealthSuite Imaging on AWS provides healthcare facilities with cloud computing capabilities that adapt to changing demands. The platform offers security features designed for healthcare data management and compliance with medical regulations.

The system aims to address challenges in medical imaging departments, where increasing patient volumes and image complexity create pressure on existing infrastructure. Cloud-based solutions can scale to accommodate growing data storage and processing requirements.

Roy Jakobs, CEO of Royal Philips, says: “Philips’ cloud-based healthcare informatics solutions allow us to drive better outcomes across clinical disciplines, including radiology, digital pathology and cardiology. We're working closely with clinicians to ensure workflows become more efficient and give back valuable time to healthcare providers.”

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