Innovators at HIMSS
It is time for the HIMSS13 Annual Conference & Exhibition. I have attended for more than 20 years and seen it through the eyes of a physician, an informaticist, a consultant and a vendor. I am often asked about the best way to handle this massive conference of more than 30,000 attendees, so let me share some thoughts on how to find innovation, share innovation or sell innovation. The easiest way to do this is to break the conference into its three main parts: the educational sessions, the exhibit hall and networking.
First, the educational sessions. The Keynotes and Views from the Top are often well-known speakers. While they may not tell you something new, they often will communicate something important in a new, inspirational way. The HIT X.0 sessions will have some of the most innovative speakers and technologies. The Sunday symposia are mini-conferences focused on specific topics, such as physicians, nurses, venture capitalists, health information exchanges, ICD-10 and HIT Innovation. They are well worth the extra time.
During the educational sessions, you can learn from others’ successes and, hopefully, their mistakes, too. Make sure to plan ahead by looking online or circling your top choices in the program booklet. Always have one or two backups in case the first one isn’t appropriate for your needs. Don’t feel shy about asking questions or going up to speakers afterwards to trade business cards to follow up for more information.
If you are presenting, please do not spend the first 15 minutes telling us about your background and why you are qualified to speak. You’ve already made it this far, so please just focus on telling us what you did, how you measured success and lessons learned for others. While stats and numbers are good, remember to spice it up with some stories of how your work affected real-life patients and providers.
Second, the exhibit hall. You will never have enough time, so plan ahead by creating a list of the “must see” companies to visit, and list them by booth numbers to be efficient. Spend at least half a day visiting the booths on the outside perimeter—where the newest and smallest vendors reside. And, always allow time for being distracted by the companies you didn’t even think about. This is often where the true innovations will be discovered.
If you are a vendor, make sure you can explain the basics of your product or service in less than one minute, including its impact on quality, cost, physician efficiency and patient satisfaction. Then, let us decide if it makes sense to talk more. Attendees, please tell the vendors your role and what type of incentive system drives your organization, so they can speak to those as they explain what their company offers.
Finally, network. Say hello to everyone, you will almost always have an interesting conversation. Whether it’s the man next to you in the educational session, the woman you wind up eating lunch with or the other people gathered around an exhibit booth, you’re bound to learn something. Make sure to go to the opening reception, other receptions and a few evening parties. They are fun, and you will meet some interesting folks.
We are all HIT explorers and innovators while at HIMSS, so make the most of your adventure.