GE Healthcare joins TRIL Centre as second industry partner

The TRIL (Technology Research for Independent Living) Centre, Ireland is delighted to announce a new industry partner, GE Healthcare (NYSE:GE). TRIL is a groundbreaking research initiative, founded in January 2007 by Intel Corporation and the IDA Ireland (Industrial Development Agency), to explore the physical, cognitive and social consequences of ageing and design technologies to help address them. The addition of GE Healthcare as an industry partner will help TRIL to extend and expand its research programme. GE joins the TRIL Centre as its second industry partner for 2010, alongside co-founder Intel and academic partners University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and NUI Galway. GE Healthcare is investing $3 million in the TRIL Centre.

“Their focus on innovative thinking and commitment to improving healthcare while reducing costs will make them a valuable contributor to our research efforts.”

"We are excited about welcoming a new industry partner with the technology expertise and stellar reputation of GE Healthcare," says Dr. Brian Caulfield, Academic Director of the TRIL Centre. "Their focus on innovative thinking and commitment to improving healthcare while reducing costs will make them a valuable contributor to our research efforts."

A key goal of TRIL's research, which brings together world-class industry and academic experts from multiple disciplines, is to enable older people to live independently in the homes of their choice for as long as possible, with the help of technology—and in the process, to help ease the strain on global healthcare systems as the world's population ages. This objective aligns with GE Healthcare's goal of continuously developing innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency.

Home health is a key business focus for GE Healthcare. The company recently acquired Living Independently Group, a provider of QuietCare, a passive activity monitoring system used to assist in the care of the elderly. The company is also leading a consortium of private and public sector organizations in a $5 million three-year home health research program funded by the Hungarian government. In April 2009, GE and Intel announced the formation of a healthcare alliance to develop and market technologies for independent living and chronic disease management. As part of this alliance, GE Healthcare markets the Intel^® Health Guide in the US and UK. The Intel Health Guide is a comprehensive personal health system that combines an in-home patient device - the Intel^® Health Guide PHS6000 - as well as an online interface - the Intel® Health Care Management Suite - allowing clinicians to monitor patients from their homes and manage care remotely.

Commenting on the announcement, Agnes Berzsenyi, General Manager of GE Healthcare's Home Health business says "We are delighted to be part of the TRIL Centre and to be involved in the groundbreaking research being done there. The world is getting older and this is presenting enormous healthcare challenges in the care of elderly citizens and the prevention and management of chronic disease. We are looking forward to working with TRIL to drive innovation in this emerging area and ultimately transforming the lives of elderly citizens."

Over the last three years, more than 600 older adults have been assessed in the TRIL Clinic and a large number have participated in the TRIL technology home deployment programme. The commitment of GE Healthcare will enable TRIL to expand the pool of participants and build on the accomplishments of the first three years. The addition of GE Healthcare as an industry partner supports TRIL's strategic vision of securing additional industry partners, from SMEs to multinational companies such as GE and Intel, to advance its important research effort.