Today we are going to get a perspective on #HIMSS16 from Melody Smith Jones, Manager, Connected Health at Perficient. Melody (@melsmithjones) leads Connected Health solutions for Perficient. She has more than 13 years of experience integrating technology solutions into marketing and loyalty strategies, and has specialized knowledge in the implementation of collaborative technologies, business intelligence, and CRM. Melody has an MBA from Xavier University in Business Intelligence and Marketing. Lets take a look at Melody’s thoughts on #HIMSS16.
What are you looking forward to most?
MELODY: I use the yearly HIMSS conference as a litmus test of sorts. There is an enormous power in putting a critical mass of healthcare technology enthusiasts in such close quarters. There are ideas to be shared, technologies to be viewed, and data points to take into consideration. Oftentimes any one of those things happen in isolation via a news article, an education session, or a comment in social media. However, at the HIMSS conference, all of these items become fodder for a larger conversation about where the industry is headed. As a result, I am oftentimes able to leave the conference with thesis statements for the current and future state of the industry that I cannot create without the power of the HIMSS critical mass.
What trends/topics do you anticipate will be a focus at HIMSS?
MELODY: I live and breathe in the world of Connected Health. In advance of HIMSS, we conducted market research to identify the top ten trends that would run the Connected Health world in the coming year, and this year’s results are pretty clear. 2016 will be a year of pretty monumental change when it comes to providing care outside of the brick and mortar. As a result, I have been referring to this year as the “Year of Telehealth”. It’s no longer a case where you will go to vendors looking for specific “telehealth solutions”. Rather, all consumer/patient solutions should be steeped in the concept of “healthcare everywhere”. I would cast a questioning eye on solutions that do not because, over the course of the coming years, much of the healthcare we know now will be provided outside of the traditional care setting. We start preparing for that future now.
If you could give one piece of advice to a first-time HIMSS attendee what would it be?
MELODY: The ultimate advice for a first-time attendee is to invest time in social media around the event. There is certainly a lot to gain from the conference if you consider the exhibit, meetings, and education sessions. However, if you do not engage in social media during the event, then you are really only getting the tip of the iceberg. Make sure to follow along on twitter via #HIMSS16 and stop by the social media center for events throughout the conference. In both places you will meet a remarkably diverse and engaged community of experts across the industry. Over the past five years, I have easily learned more from healthcare social media than any other source.
Oh, and you can also listen to the HIMSS16 Mix Tape on Spotify, which is a fun playlist compiled by my social media buddy Colin Hung (@Colin_Hung) and includes song recommendations from the entire healthcare IT social media community to put you into the HIMSS spirit.
Stop by and see Melody at the Perficient booth #2871 throughout the HIMSS conference. She will also be in the Microsoft booth #3832 talking about enhancing the patient journey through a connected health experience.
