Last week's announcement of a collaboration between IBM and the Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier healthcare alliance could mean improved patient quality for more than 2,400 hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide. 

The two entities plan to create a platform that allows for data to be more easily transferred between facilities, Premier Chief Information Officer Joe Pleasant told FierceHealthIT. He indicated that the data would be made available in multiple ways. 

"Some folks may get data from the cloud--from a provider that has it," Pleasant said. "And others may have it housed within their own four walls. I think it's certainly a data model that we would hope becomes a standard that others would follow when they put their own warehouse or data foundation in place." 

A similar data-sharing model used in Premier's QUEST initiative saved more than 22,000 lives and lowered healthcare spending by more than $2 billion at 157 hospitals, according to a joint press release. Pleasant thinks that this newest collaboration simply takes what has already been proven to work a step further. 

"I would not want to go out and say that we have specific amounts [that this model will save institutions in terms of dollars and lives]," but "I expect the returns will be very significant." 

Twenty-five health systems comprised of 90 hospitals with roughly 5,000 physicians across 19 states in Premier's Accountable Care Implementation Collaborative will initially utilize the new data-exchange model. By spring 2011, more than 2,400 hospitals and 70,000 other facilities nationwide will have similar access. 

"Without access to this data, the majority of providers simply cannot offer the type of accountable care that regulations require and patients deserve," IBM healthcare and life sciences general manager Dan Pelino said, according to the press release. "This is a necessity to transform healthcare delivery, bending the cost curve while improving the quality of care." 

To learn more:
- here's the news release