TECHNOLOGY IN HEALTHCARE. WELCOME TO AHIMA20

OUR REPORT BELOW LOOKS  AT THE BEST OF USA HEALTH NEW SOLUTIONS.

The AHIMA Trade Association is the bible for healthtech specialists in the USA. Its is far removed from its HIMSS cousins, despite the fact that both are in the same Chicago metropolis. The difference being that AHIMA looks at how do you deliver the technology that will drive patient health in the future. And by that they mean, what is the programming, the system design, the architecture – the digital roadmap.

What AHIMA is not – is a vendor jamboree full of thousand of vendors. The current list of suitable vendors is probably less than 100. You could say it is quality over quantity but even that criticism is not correct. AHIMS is not interested in quantity per se. It is interested in “what is the best tech”. And that does not mean there is no commercial outreach. This is USA after all.

And there is a definite link and focus on American political and government progress; the recent announcement back in July is typical:

“Patient ID Now Coalition Pleased Congress is Addressing Patient Misidentification”

CHICAGO – July 31, 2020 – Patient ID Now, a coalition of leading healthcare organizations, including the American College of Surgeons, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), Intermountain Healthcare and Premier Healthcare Alliance, is pleased that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to remove the longstanding ban in its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill that stifles innovation around patient identification.

Our Report published here today, the opening day of this Conference, gives you an immediate insight into what Seminars are upcoming this week – what are American hospitals and clinics focussing on – and who will wi this year’s prize for the best “pitch”.

Best and winning “pitch” last year 2019 – was the Drugviu company, (www.drugviu.com). Their photo is above. What they say about themselves is this:

Drugviu is a population health platform empowering communities of color to use data to improve health outcomes. Our data helps minority populations know the experiences and side effects of others who have taken similar medication. Our customers are pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and our team consists of health tech executives and medical advisors. Our mission is to help improve the health outcomes of 40% of Americans and empower them to be more engaged in their health. Drugviu was launched in March 2019.

But this year is 2020, and today is today. The AHIMA Conference is a series of jam-packed Education Sessions, covering a wide variety of; What they say is –

“With you in mind, we are advocates and educators in an ever-evolving space, dedicated to providing industry leaders like you with the knowledge and insights you need to continue leading the evolution of healthcare.

Educational Topics include: Clinical Coding • Clinical Documentation Integrity •  Information Protection: Privacy and Security:  Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies • Informatics, Analysis, and Data Usage: Innovation • Patient Identification and Matching • Social Determinants of Health Organizational Management and Dynamic Leadership • Revenue Cycle Management.”

The Link to see ALL of the Sessions, is:

https://conference.ahima.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FINAL-Agenda-as-of-10.01.2020_ML.pdf.

And the Sessions are more than just a tech discussion. They focus on the key practical issues such as “innovation”, through to actual health examples; “Critical Cancer Registry Data”. They are divided daly into seven vertical markets, ranging from “clinical Coding” on the left of the agenda – through to more philosophical aspects such as “organisational Management and Dynamic Leadership” on the right of the table.

There is a clear focus on connecting you with best-practice providers. The Link rot access these every morning is:

https://conference.ahima.org/exhibits/?utm_campaign=Conference&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97205242&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–393-Om_ivR_kR-caPUXW_iMAObfFaaHlUKq9PC4EVa1WmV0jB5yqjR_eYP3n94BFbLAZgcv-icd07yj-WHT8imEEskw&utm_content=97205242&utm_source=hs_email#expert-theater.

Plus a whole series of tech demo sessions. That Link is as follows:

https://conference.ahima.org/exhibits/?utm_campaign=Conference&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=97205242&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–Y9R8hg02QfeaTQlBi6zMqBEnmh2b-Gl3AQ9hQSbD4XCVymt_-PeniiDrmgevp5k-b6oXllkz5fk8gwSfggtR_vRk8fg&utm_content=97205242&utm_source=hs_email#tech-demo

Where AHIMA scores, is the link between technology and such actual healthcare problems that clinicians face daily, and where they look to IT to help. You can stop by the AHIMA Virtual Booth, and discuss such items as “Practicing Medicine: It is not a Misnomer”. And “Getting More Out Of Your Healthcare “Investments”.

Talking with Mike Bittner, Head of Media at AHIMA just a few days ago, his view is that “the biggest problem for healthcare professionals is he mix of technology and how can that best be used – in conjunction with a mindset that encourages that exploration”.

This Report gives you the opportunity to register right now – on impulse – and explore the Session that best fit your own ideas and plans for the future, or whether you have no specific plans. The Link to register is:

https://conference.ahima.org.

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EUROVISION ON STEROIDS. WELCOME TO THE HIMSS 2020 EUROPEAN DIGITAL CONFERENCE.

With decision-makers from healthcare in some 98 Countries – including Russia, Israel etc – booked to attend; and around 172 Speakers, including 45+ keynote Speakers, including the WHO, the US ONC, and of course the key Partners from Finland (whose are supporting this Conference) – this five day event is as good as it gets in terms of bringing together where healthcare is going and needs to go.

It is an interesting comparison. This Conference is just a week or two after the Nordic more local VITALIS event in Goteborg, but whilst VITALIS is essentially inward looking, a focus for its local market – HIMSS Europe has always been an outreach for its Nordic contingent. Nothing has changed here.

When I spoke a few days ago with Sean Roberts, the VP EMEA of HIMSS, he told me that the clear focus of this year’s HIMSS Europe – is Innovation; the bringing together of the smaller and new vendors alongside their bigger and more established sponsor brothers, and taking new ways of doing things, into healthcare management.

Sean has decamped with his wife and his dog, from California to the leafy environment of Berkshire, just a 30 minute train ride into the UK capital. He is an anglophile who knows the restaurants of Chelsea even better than I. Despite the Finland original focus, the bedrock of this virtual event is a TV Studio in West London, and the biggest beneficiaries of this event may well be the domestic UK NHS. It is a journey for both of them.

What HIMSS says about itself is you can expect a “Powerful 5-day virtual experience facilitating partnerships and collaborations for digital healthcare transformation; a Unique combination of live, and “simulive” and on-demand sessions, with the opportunity to participate in live polling and Q&A throughout. Plus an Interactive, robust chat and networking capabilities that will allow you to connect with your peers and solution providers, with an unrivalled opportunity to pitch, profile and connect with key industry stakeholders”.

If there is a major and standout difference from earlier years or indeed other events organisations – it is the 3D Exhibit floor; the Lobby (see our image above) – and the virtual networking. HIMSS has been preparing for this sort of virtual reality for some years, even since the days of Steve Lieber – and you can say that COVID has been a wake up call – but looking back, it has been obvious that this is a way of interfacing that makes sense if done properly. The TV and “games” look and feel of the Lobby equals anything redolent of PS2 entertainment.

We are looking forward to the mix of protagonists as much as the Speaker advice. No doubt see you there.