HIMSS 2014

The HIMSS Annual Convention & Exhibition has been growing for years with more sessions and more exhibitors. 2014 is no exception. “Innovation. Impact. Outcomes. Onward.” is the theme this year and sums up the 24 categories that comprise the general education program.

Pre-conference offerings

Symposia and workshops get rolling the weekend before the official start of HIMSS14. The 17 symposia and four workshops offer a “deep dive” and participants can “talk and interact with others who are interested in a particular topic and be exposed to nationally recognized leaders,” says JoAnn W. Klinedinst, HIMSS vice president of professional development.

Symposia topics include patient education, ICD-10, mobile health and patient safety which was developed with the ECRI Institute, the organization that acts as the Consumer Reports of medical devices in a healthcare setting. The session will cover the challenges, opportunities and risks of medical devices which is important, Klinedinst says, because “people don’t talk about these things because they don’t want to be exposed.”

Another big topic is clinical business and intelligence, she says. “All this information has been gathered electronically and now organizations are in a position to learn from it.”

HIMSS went to a call-for-proposal process to develop the symposia this year. Previously, they used internal subject matter experts but the peer review process generated a lot of enthusiasm, Klinedinst says. Topics include patient safety, supply chain management, project management and more.

New this year is the opportunity for participants of two symposia to continue to interact throughout the year through the Virtual Learning Network. For a $25 registration fee, people can participate in webinars and interact with subject matter experts. “The thought here is that people come to preconference education and have phenomenal experiences but then don’t talk about the subjects again until the next year. In this way, we are extending the conversation.”

Exhibit hall options

The society is very aware that a lot of education takes place on the exhibit hall floor which features more than 1,200 exhibitors in a half-million square feet. This year, the Interoperability Showcase is being expanded by merging it with the Meaningful Use experience, Klinedinst says, “to show how collaborative technology is critical to the realization of connected health and patient empowerment.”

The area includes a simulated ICU, physician office and operating room with tours that feature recorded patient stories. The settings incorporate Meaningful Use certified solutions with health information exchange (HIE), powered by IHE profiles to “demonstrate the power of interoperable technology through the use of HIE that leverages IHE profiles.”

Beacon Nation Live also is new this year and includes four sessions dedicated to the work of Beacon communities. This feature lets participants get in-depth information on how these health IT forward-thinking organizations implemented solutions.

HIMSS14 also offers the Federal Health IT Pavilion in the exhibit hall where attendees can explore products and services offered by federal agencies and attend educational sessions.

A variety of forums are being held throughout the week, such as sessions on the federal health community, patient engagement and CIOs.

Klinedinst predicts that mobile health, privacy and security, consumer health and medical device integration will be very hot topics for attendees of HIMSS14.
The Connected Patient Learning Gallery also is new this year. Attendees can “experience hands-on activities that really showcase advances and interactions with consumers and technology,” she says.

The underlying theme is the value of health IT, she adds. “Speakers will be highlighting how the particular work they’re doing has brought about benefits.” Presenters won’t just share a case study about the implementation or upgrading of an EHR but also the metrics behind those activities and the benefits realized. “It’s all about achieving value.”

Get some comfortable shoes and get ready for a wealth of information, insight and networking. Orlando is waiting for you!