St.Jude Collaborates With Microsoft

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced a partnership with the Microsoft Corp. Health Solutions Group to research the integration of data from implantable devices with patient-controlled, personal health records. St. Jude Medical and Microsoft will work with physicians to determine the optimal level of integration (between the Merlin.net Patient Care Network and Microsoft® HealthVault) that will allow physicians to efficiently and confidentially share device information with their patients.

Merlin.net PCN is a secure Internet-based system that collects and displays information from implantable devices, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). It stores data that is captured during implant procedures, in-office follow-up visits with physicians and remote follow-up transmissions in patients’ homes. Transmitted data includes reports of irregular heart rhythms and real-time electrograms (EGM) which show patients’ heartbeats at the time of transmission.

The entire Merlin.net PCN system, from user access to data storage, meets the standards of reliability, privacy and security established by regulatory requirements and by the International Quality Certification Standards. All network communications that occur on Merlin.net PCN are encrypted with the highest level of protection using industry standard cryptography.

Microsoft HealthVault is an Internet-based consumer health record system that allows individuals to collect, store and share their health information privately and securely. Created in cooperation with leading privacy advocates (including the Patient Privacy Rights Foundation), respected security experts and dozens of the world’s leading healthcare organizations, HealthVault was designed to provide people with a secure way to efficiently store and access their personal medical records.

“This partnership between two industry leaders will give patients and physicians easier access to health records during clinical care,” said George J. Fazio, president of the St. Jude Medical U.S. Division. “A centralized, highly secure database with implanted device data, and additional relevant patient information, will allow patients and their physicians to more efficiently manage cardiac conditions.”Microsoft Corp.