The HIMSS conference of today is so far from what its was originally intended to be, that words cannot define it. I've had the opportunity to attend every conference since it was conceived. I now find myself in the situation that attending is not pleasurable or productive. The educational tracks are riddled with vendors using the forum to package what they are selling or individuals known as experts that are defined by the subject matter verses the solution.
The majority of CIO's CMIO's and other senior leadership come in for the CHIME forum and pre-events and leave. The conference exists for HIMSS to make large amounts of money from the vendor and attendee community, nothing more and nothing less.
If HIMSS was genuinely interested in addressing the current state of healthcare and how technology can be an enabler for change and growth it would stop having the conference and replace it with 6 - 8 smaller forums, one for Policy reform, Client/Patient Engagement, Insurance/Payor Reform, New Tech, Clinical Transformation, Business/Clinical alignment and so forth. Have them for 3 days of intense meeting with the goal of change. NO vendors with the exception of those invited to present and or provide expertise. No booths, You get my drift.
I'm getting close to hanging up my rope at this goat rodeo and I'm so disappointed that we have spent so much and really accomplished so little. Big health systems get bigger and wealthier and the real cost of care increases, patients are still dying due to medication errors and preventable infections.
I'll not be attending the conference this year. Instead several of my peers and I will be meeting to discuss how we can work outside the defined channels to address some specific issues that could actually improve the delivery of care and the operational processes of our respective organization. We figured that meeting this week would allow us to not be bothered by vendors, or agencies, or HIMSS or CHIME as they will all be focused Las Vegas.
Lassie - 9 years ago
Primary activity is Evangelizing: staffing the booth, promoting our product and philosophy, meeting with potential partners, visiting prospects' booths (we pitch to other vendors, among others)... Also stopping by the HIStalk booth, which is akin to a tall glass of lemonade.
The HIMSS conference of today is so far from what its was originally intended to be, that words cannot define it. I've had the opportunity to attend every conference since it was conceived. I now find myself in the situation that attending is not pleasurable or productive. The educational tracks are riddled with vendors using the forum to package what they are selling or individuals known as experts that are defined by the subject matter verses the solution.
The majority of CIO's CMIO's and other senior leadership come in for the CHIME forum and pre-events and leave. The conference exists for HIMSS to make large amounts of money from the vendor and attendee community, nothing more and nothing less.
If HIMSS was genuinely interested in addressing the current state of healthcare and how technology can be an enabler for change and growth it would stop having the conference and replace it with 6 - 8 smaller forums, one for Policy reform, Client/Patient Engagement, Insurance/Payor Reform, New Tech, Clinical Transformation, Business/Clinical alignment and so forth. Have them for 3 days of intense meeting with the goal of change. NO vendors with the exception of those invited to present and or provide expertise. No booths, You get my drift.
I'm getting close to hanging up my rope at this goat rodeo and I'm so disappointed that we have spent so much and really accomplished so little. Big health systems get bigger and wealthier and the real cost of care increases, patients are still dying due to medication errors and preventable infections.
I'll not be attending the conference this year. Instead several of my peers and I will be meeting to discuss how we can work outside the defined channels to address some specific issues that could actually improve the delivery of care and the operational processes of our respective organization. We figured that meeting this week would allow us to not be bothered by vendors, or agencies, or HIMSS or CHIME as they will all be focused Las Vegas.
Primary activity is Evangelizing: staffing the booth, promoting our product and philosophy, meeting with potential partners, visiting prospects' booths (we pitch to other vendors, among others)... Also stopping by the HIStalk booth, which is akin to a tall glass of lemonade.