It’s almost time for the annual HIMSS conference which will be held March 5-9 in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. I’ve been going to HIMSS for 25 years and every year I look forward to what I will see and the people I will speak with regarding Health IT challenges and solutions. This year’s conference is one I’m anticipating for a variety of reasons. As you know, the Health IT industry is always in a state of change due to many factors including new technologies, vendor consolidation, competitiveness and regulatory requirements. However, due to both technology advancement and vendor engagement this year has the potential to offer some innovative offerings and perspectives.
On the technology side it will be interesting to see how capabilities around artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics and, virtual/augmented reality are introduced to assist in care delivery and process improvement. Typically you see technologies like these at the Consumer Electronics Show as opposed to HIMSS but I think the time is right to start introducing them into Health IT.
In addition to technology advances there are also more non-traditional vendors moving into the Health IT space. I realize it is early for companies like Amazon and Apple to have a large presence at HIMSS, however, I’m interested to see how involved they are at the conference and hear from thought leaders about the potential impact these newer vendors, along with advances from many of the existing vendors, will have on Health IT in the coming years.
Finally, a major benefit of HIMSS, at least in my opinion, is the ability to reconnect with many people I’ve worked with during my healthcare career. Some of the greatest benefits I’ve received have been as a result of information shared among existing contacts regarding their challenges, solutions developed and general information about Health IT.
I always look forward to what I will get out of HIMSS but this year, especially, I’m excited about some of the change that is coming to our industry and how it will impact the Health IT in the coming years.
Perficient’s healthcare leadership team will be in booth #2671 and we would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about healthcare trends, challenges, and innovations and share with you real-world examples of how we are helping organizations transform.
See you in Vegas!
