Looking forward to another exciting day at HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition. Before I get the day started, I just wanted to recap yesterday's press briefings. I had intended to cover both of the press briefings I attended in one update, but they were just so rich with content that they warranted their own space. I’ve included the key takeaways from the general press conference hosted by HIMSS president, Harold Wolf. I’ll cover the cybersecurity briefing later today. Artificial Intelligence: Naturally, AI was top of mind for most attendees, but my big takeaway is that providers don’t want AI, they want solutions to their problems. The problems are the same, but we have a quickly expanding new toolkit of technologies to address them. I agree wholeheartedly. As someone who has been developing AI solutions for more than a decade, weathering multiple stages of the AI hype cycle, one thing remains constant: the desire for solutions in broad areas such as margin protection, health equity, process and workflow optimization, and most important tools that have the capability to help improve the quality, equity, and efficiency of patient care. Cybersecurity: Obviously, security was an important topic to attendees also. The Change Healthcare data breach was the very first question broached at the press conference. I’ll delve into cybersecurity much more when I discuss the cybersecurity briefing later today. It was fascinating. Health Equity: When the time came to ask my question, of course, I had to broach the topic of health equity. The approach the organization is taking is advocating for access and in particular, understanding how digital solutions such as telehealth can bridge that gap. I think there is a lot of opportunity in that area. However, I would still like to see more diverse individuals with a seat at the table and a more critical look at the systematic issues that can’t be explained by social, comorbid, and economic factors. We also need to have a care eye on AI solutions that exacerbate existing health disparities, we've seen it happen and need to have the proper guardrails in place. What’s on the horizon for HIMSS: It’s exciting to see that HIMSS continues to innovate and keep up with the times. They’ve been adding new content to support startups and VCs. They’ve also added some really fun social events to the conference. This could attract new up-and-coming innovators. I think it's a fantastic strategy. If we're taking time away from work, family, and life in general, let's have some fun! As a startup owner, I'm also of course on board for more extensive startup content. Exciting things all around! Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but opinions are my own and those of my employers, two very demanding (yet impossibly cute) toddlers.
President and Creative Director at Promotus Advertising
1yI wholeheartedly agree that the path to health equity would experience substantial advancements if the right diverse group of individuals were actively engaged in the decision-making process. Unfortunately, individuals with an innovative mindset and challenging ideas on systemic issues often find themselves unwelcome at the table, because it makes the meetings uncomfortable.