Eindhoven: Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced that its digital pathology solutions are among the first pathology IT systems and equipment to be certified for compliance with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) security requirements, under its DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP). As part of this certification, Philips will follow the DoD's Risk Management Framework (RMF) and employ industry best practices for security across all of its digital pathology solutions.

Pathology involves the examination of patient tissue samples and plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of diseases, including cancer. Government and private pathology labs alike are under mounting pressures to keep pace with increased demands and the goal of improving quality of care and diagnosis. This shift is fueling the adoption of digital technologies, such as the Philips IntelliSite

* pathology solution that is designed to streamline workflows, enhance multi-site collaboration and support paths to improved diagnosis while ensuring the privacy and security of electronic protected health information (ePHI) data.

"Digitization will continue to revolutionize health care by securely providing caregivers with integrated clinical relevant data at the right time, regardless their location," said

Russell Granzow, General Manager of Philips Digital Pathology Solutions. "This latest certification allows DoD labs to leverage our platform to collaborate globally while securing the delivery of patient-related data."

Stringent security and privacy requirements apply to all IT systems that operate on a DoD network. The DIACAP certification and Authorization to Operate (ATO) allows the Philips IntelliSite pathology

solution, including the Image Management System, Pathologist Suite and Ultra-Fast Scanner, to be deployed across DoD sites globally, and further underscores Philips' commitment to ensuring DoD's health care information is secure and safe by continuously updating its products security.

Across the globe, several high-volume and networked pathology institutions are relying on the Philips IntelliSite Pathology platform for improved workflows, enhanced collaboration capabilities and ultimately, faster consults.