HealthGate Articles

Report from HIMSS07

Attendees at HIMSS07 (February 26th—March 1st) were strongly urged to expedite IT system investment and deployment. Focusing on EHR, CPOE, consumer portals, e-prescription programs, patient scheduling systems, PHR and others, speakers promoted system benefits, but largely ignored the issue of funding such systems.

While Steven Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, shared his lofty vision for the future of healthcare, General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, brought attendees down to reality by speaking about the 'flattened global world' and the risk that America be left behind by nations that are advancing at rapid rates in education and healthcare. Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt brought the issue of national healthcare costs to the forefront, by recalling that in 1951 healthcare spending was 4% of the GDP; a cost that doubles every 15 to 20 years, rendering it unsustainable in the future. His urgent message to healthcare providers is to embrace technology now and reap the benefits of automation and collaboration.

This year, over 900 exhibitors, accounting for half of the 23,000 attendees, showcased their products on the mile-long trade show floor. Conversations with attendees alluded to the notion that many organizations are taking a long-term approach to technology implementation. One hospital representative reported sending 7 colleagues to the conference to research possible solutions to accommodate their 3-year technology plan.

While many attendees were looking for specific solutions to plans already in place, the majority were interested in learning about recent innovations in healthcare technology. One such innovation is HealthGate’s Collaboration Architect, which fosters efficient standardization processes and reduces time spent in committee meetings within healthcare settings.

New to HIMSS this year is the HIT Dashboard and the announcement of the first ever HIMSS-sponsored Virtual Conference & Expo. The HIT Dashboard is a visual interface dedicated to tracking over 500 state, federal, and private HIT initiatives. Visit the site to learn about private HIT projects and those associated with AHRQ HIT Grants, DOQ-IT, RHIOs, Health Information Exchanges, and Bridges to Excellence. The HIMSS Virtual Conference & Expo will be held May 16-17 and November 6-7, 2007. The event will feature online learning and live chat opportunities, ability to visit exhibitor booths and participate in group discussions and more.

If you weren’t able to attend HIMSS07, be sure to visit their website at http://himss07.org/handouts to obtain notes from the speaker presentations. HealthGate’s own handouts are available on our website, www.healthgate.com/himss2007.

Lastly, mark your calendars! HIMSS08 will be held February 24-28, 2008, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. We’ll see you there!