Royal Philips Electronics, a diversified well-being company, and US-based SpineMark Corporation, a leader in developing specialised centres for spine care, have teamed up to build centres for spine care globally.

The first centres for spine care resulting from this agreement will be established in the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey in the first quarter of 2011, a statement said.

As part of this agreement, Philips will draw on its competencies in healthcare, lighting and design to provide an integrated solution to enhance optimal patient outcomes. This includes advanced imaging equipment such as MRI and CT scanners, healthcare IT solutions to improve spine centre efficiency, and learning tools for physicians and nurses.

Philips will also equip the centres with innovative lighting solutions that create a stimulating workplace and improve productivity, as well as design solutions to streamline workflow for spine centre staff.

“A major part of spine care is non-surgical,” said Dr Eric Silfen, chief medical officer at Philips Healthcare. “For example complex diagnosis, numerous pain relief interventions and extensive rehabilitation often mean that patients can experience long waiting times for services, repeated referrals and unnecessary expense.”

“SpineMark’s innovative care delivery model and our unique partnership will help simplify spine care and create a patient-friendly environment,” he added.

Marcy Rogers, CEO of SpineMark Corporation, said: “With 4 out of 5 people suffering from back pain and an emphasis on finding quality, cost effective healthcare, we have seen a growing need for best practices in spine care across the globe.”

“The partnership with Philips offers us access to the tools needed to not only implement the spine centre model globally but also manage each centre. This is the first time that a standard model for spine care is being set up globally.”

Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic  - while the most common causes of spinal cord injuries are from vehicular accidents (41.3 percent), followed by falls (27.3 percent), the statement said. – TradeArabia News Centre