Holy Cow!! (Little tribute to Chicago legend, Harry Caray!) The Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference has come back to Sweet Home Chicago. Nearly 38,000 HIMSS15 attendees will fill Chicago’s McCormick Place April, 12-16, 2015. It’s a given that there will be many conversations about the Chicago Cubs, deep dish pizza, the crazy winds off of Lake Michigan, Soldier Field, the beautiful Chicago skyline, and other iconic Chicago things.
In addition, to the conversations about the windy city, I predict that there will be infinite conversations throughout the Conference, and thereafter, surrounding three hot healthcare trends:
- ICD-10: With less than 7 months remaining till the October 2015 implementation of the new and expanded diagnosis codes, ICD-10, providers and health plans are either embracing it or praying for yet another postponement. The conversation surrounding cost impact will most likely be the fuel that sparks the hot debates among attendees – does it cost more to implement or delay ICD-10?
- Population Health Management: This should not come as a surprise. The concept of population health management and discussions surrounding strategies for sharing patient data and accountability, across the continuum of care for more effective delivery of healthcare has been a hot topic issue for the past few years. However, challenges in collecting, storing and reporting the necessary data to achieve this cross collaboration often times impedes its application. The HIMSS15 Conference will surely have an abundance of exhibits and educational sessions speaking to data warehousing, business intelligence and analytics and innovative tools and technology applications that will help organizations tackle these issues.
- Patient Engagement: Empowering patients is critical to achieving quality care and lowering healthcare costs. With both clinical and financial impact involving the patient in every step of their care patient engagement has become a top priority among many providers. Through the use of patient portals, remote monitoring and a variety of mobile health tools, patients are able to monitor and take control of their health in ways they were unable to do years ago. The patient-centered movement across the healthcare industry will allow for organizations to hit the triple aim of improved health outcomes, better patient care, and lower costs. HIMSS15 will provide attendees many opportunities to explore some of these advances first-hand through interactive showcases and roundtable discussions on the topic.
Predictions aside, one thing I can guarantee, as always, is that HIMSS15 will not disappoint! Between the thousands of exhibitors and vendors showcasing cutting edge healthcare technology, hundreds of educational sessions on today’s hottest healthcare topics, and the extensive collaboration and networking between healthcare IT professionals, clinicians, and executives what more can you ask for, well other than the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series! Enjoy the conference and the great City of Chicago!!
What do you think will be the hottest topic at HIMSS15? Do your predictions align with mine?
