HIMSS16 Conference Recap Day 2 – The Show Floor Is Open

by | Mar 2, 2016 | Healthcare

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HIMSS16 logoToday we are continuing our coverage of the HIMSS16 conference in Las Vegas. Yesterday, the show floor opened, and for a first-time show attendee such as myself, it was quite a sight to see! Here’s a quick look at some of the numbers:

  • Attendees: 40,000+
  • Exhibitors: 1,300+
  • Educational sessions: 300+
  • Floors at the Sands Expo: 5

As you can see, there is a lot happening here, and I am very aware that my blog posts will only scratch the surface of all the great things happening in health IT!

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How technology can help in the move to patient-centered care

While most of my time yesterday was spent in the Dimensional Insight booth, I was able to attend the Special Session with the ONC and CMS, in which both Karen DeSalvo, national coordinator for health information technology and acting assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Andy Slavitt, acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, discussed the role that technology should play as we move to a more value-based, patient-centered model of care.

DeSalvo discussed how adoption of EHRs has tripled in the last 5 years, so now is the right time for us to take advantage of this delivery infrastructure. That means:

  1. Incentivizing value over volume
  2. Advocating for patient-centered care
  3. Using EHR data and making it actionable

DeSalvo talked about the need to “set data free” to better support decision-making for both clinicians and consumers. She also said she was thankful that so many private sector companies have pledged interoperability (which Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell discussed on Monday in her opening keynote).

In his remarks, Slavitt approached technology from the physician’s point of view, and talked about how many of them are frustrated with the technology they are being required to implement. He said the technology often hurts rather than helps physicians who are trying to provide care. Slavitt cited comments from several physicians who complained about:

  1. The lack of interoperability between systems
  2. Regulations that slow them down and create a document burden
  3. The difficulty of using EHRs

Slavitt believes that technology providers need to better understand how hospitals and caregivers provide patient care, which today is more diverse and more mobile than ever before. To that end, the way we can address physician concerns is to:

  1. Close the gulf between public policy work and what is happening at the front line of care
  2. Focus not on technology as a tool, but on how it enables patient care
  3. Focus on outcomes over activities

Dimensional Insight at HIMSS16

We put a lot of work into our booth this year – and it looks great! We had a busy day yesterday full of meetings and demonstrations of our healthcare solutions.

DI at HIMSS16

Dimensional Insight booth #5237

We also hosted our annual “Divertini” party, featuring yes, our own Dimensional Insight drink (colored blue, of course)! I have been given special permission by the powers that be to provide you with hitherto-secret Divertini recipe if you want to make one at home.

Here you go:

Divertini

The Divertini

Equal parts:

  • Blue Curacao
  • Coconut Rum
  • Pineapple Juice
  • Vodka

Enjoy!

Of course, if you are at HIMSS16 and want to stop by, we’d love to say hi! We are in booth #5237.

Ready for a test drive of our healthcare analytics software?

Kathy Sucich
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