Meaningful Use, mobility, and support for new care organizations were top agenda items at the HIMMS congress last year (›Fig. 1)
(www.himssconference.org). More than 31,000 attendees came to the 50th show in Orlando/Florida. This year, again, the world’s largest event in our sector is likely to attract a huge number of players in healthcare IT despite the crisis which continues in many countries. Subsidies for investments in IT and a promise of increased efficiency and reduced costs thanks to use of IT will make “HIMSS 12” another “must”.
With several hundred sessions and in excess of 1,000 exhibitors, the annual HIMSS congress is certainly the largest meeting place worldwide for anybody involved in healthcare IT. Besides Meaningful Use, the key technology topics will include support for mobility, tools for analyzing administrative and clinical issues, paths for communication with patients and consumers, as well as solutions helping to coordinate care plans. Besides such approaches and solutions for challenges in daily routine, to be presented in sessions and in the exhibition halls, mid and long-term approaches for coping with emerging challenges in the healthcare sector will be on the agenda in Las Vegas.
Among the keynote speakers – selected, for top-category events in the U.S: such as the HIMSS annual congress, with an eye towards the „inspiration factor“ – will include Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter; Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; news anchor Terry Moran together with political commentators, as well as Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones project and explorer.
„HIMSS 12“ is scheduled for 20-24 February at Las Vegas, Nevada
(www.himssconference.org) – see you all there.