The IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics recently announced a new initiative to develop local partnerships with leading universities, research institutions, development agencies and the government to reinforce the value of information and analytics in decision making across a range of healthcare issues in India. The India branch of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, with the support of IMS Health India, will leverage relationships in the public and private sectors to deliver objective, relevant insights and research to advance the country's health agenda.

Murray Aitken, who heads the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, said, "The transformation of healthcare systems to better serve the needs of patients worldwide can be energized through a tighter linkage between information and decisions. There is a tremendous opportunity to ensure that the best available information - including IMS's unparalleled global information and analytical assets - is applied as critical reforms are undertaken across India. Through the India branch, we are establishing a platform for collaboration among academia and the country's private and public sector stakeholders to help drive the creation of critical research networks, greater information sharing and the innovative mapping of disease burdens."

In India, the IMS Institute's activities will focus on three areas. Firstly, by mobilizing and advancing health services research, the institute will bring together leading policy advisors, educators, researchers and medical care providers to initiate research activities and apply evidence-based approaches to address key healthcare issues.

Secondly, for capacity-building and professional training, programs that harness the unique knowledge and expertise of IMS researchers and specialists will be developed for key decision makers, including healthcare executives, hospital administrators and policy makers.

Also, for analytics-based performance improvement, the institute will support efforts by health institutions to use performance-based analytics and Business Intelligence tools to drive informed decision making and improved healthcare costs and outcomes.

"This is an exciting initiative, and my colleagues and I are looking forward to advancing this distinctive agenda in collaboration with India's healthcare stakeholders," said Dr. Gopa Kumar Raghavan, who heads the India Branch of the IMS Institute. "IMS Health's information, insights and global perspective will provide a unique foundation for critical dialogue to accelerate healthcare development and encourage effective policy decision making."