HIMSS14, Tuesday: Five things to know today
Good morning! Here are some interesting developments from the official opening day of the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition.
1. A lot--A LOT--of money is going to waste in healthcare. In his opening keynote address, Aetna CEO Mark T. Bertolini said the healthcare system wastes $800 billion a year--more than enough money to pay back the nation's debt over 10 years. "This should be the focus of our policy decisions, our solutions and our IT."
2. Interoperability is front and center at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. “It’s an important nut to crack,” said Judy Murphy, deputy national coordinator for programs and policy at the ONC, while touring the Interoperability Showcase. The showcase featured case studies on how standards-based solutions can improve the quality and efficiency of care delivery.
3. Nurses are more than doing their part to foster improved efficiency and patient care. Laura Wood, DNP, MS, RN, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, discussed a pilot that involved handing out iPads to patients and families. Although the patients loved it, implementation fell to the nurses who managed security of the devices, traced them and helped patients and families use them. Not surprisingly, the program has been difficult to sustain.
4. Health IT professionals have not lost their sense of humor. Speaking during her session covering her experience getting a Pioneer ACO off the ground, Dominique Morgan-Solomon, MPH, vice president of population health for Steward Health Care Network in Boston, said, “This is not like a French movie. I’m not going to make you cry. This has a happy ending.”
And in another session: “We spend a lot of time sorting the apps from the CRapps. Unfortunately there are a lot of CRapps out there,” said David Levin, MD, CMIO of the Cleveland Clinic, urging developers to do their homework and conduct research to determine whether their tools will work in real life.
5. There are plenty of give-aways in the exhibit hall. Many companies are giving out the traditional pens and t-shirts but among the more unusual trinkets are stuffed dragons and fish, wine, and photo opps with Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Attendees are certainly getting their share of great insight and expertise along with their exhibit hall loot.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.