Microsoft and GE Healthcare join together to launch a cloud-based monitoring system to help hospitals fight COVID-19.

These two global giants have joined together to bring a remote data monitoring technology to work alongside existing monitoring devices in hospitals. 

The technology helps hospitals track intensive care units, giving visibility to all ventilated patients simultaneously and identifies early warning signs of deterioration in patients.

The cloud-based Mural Virtual Care Solution hosted on Microsoft's Azure platform enables real-time data from electronic medical records, monitoring systems, ventilators, labs, and other systems from multiple patients to clinicians. With as many as 100 beds being able to be monitored and over numerous sites 24 hours a day, this allows healthcare professionals the ability to do their job while reducing exposure to COVID-19 and use of PPE.

GE Healthcare has stated that the  Mural system can be customised to provide hospitals with data and calculations based on their care protocols. This will help to identify if patients need any intervention. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of ventilators for lung damage has increased, so managing mechanical ventilation support is essential.

"Not only is GE Healthcare providing critically important medical devices to address this global challenge, but we are also rapidly scaling technologies to aid clinicians in delivering safe, effective, and efficient care." said GE Healthcare president and CEO Kieran Murphy.

GE Healthcare states that its partnership with Microsoft has made a scalable and affordable tool, and from January 2021, GE has said that it will waive software subscription charges for Mural.

Other Microsoft partnerships which focus on aiding the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Microsoft has collaborated with various private companies and nonprofit organisations to roll out the "Protecting People Everywhere" initiative via their HealthEquip app. This app was set up to help with the shortage of PPE by matching donors with recipients.

A collaboration with Adaptive Biotechnologies ADPT has been set up to help aid public health officials and researchers to track and access data relating to COVID-19 patient immune responses. Microsoft's cloud computing platform, Azure is where the open-source data will be deployed.

Another partnership has been set up with the CDC Foundation to launch an Azure-powered healthcare bot service. The bot aids healthcare professionals to screen potential COVID-19 patients and recommend the best possible course of action.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced healthcare organisations to become more digitised in operations due to the infection rates. The drive for the digital transformation of the healthcare system has finally arrived.

Emerging technologies such as AI, ML and cloud computing are being used to develop systems and solutions to help better screen and monitor patients and provide safer support for medical procedures.

Microsoft has used their latest technologies to not only help revolutionise the healthcare space, aid researchers and medical workers around the world in solving this crisis, help keep healthcare professionals safe but most importantly help keep coronavirus infected patients alive.