Our Trip to HIMSS 2022
What is HIMSS?
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is a nonprofit organization whose aim is to promote best-use IT practices in healthcare. Its annual meeting is attended by almost 1000 exhibitors and nearly 80,000 participants each year. Moberg Analytics attended the HIMSS 2022 meeting to obtain insight into the current gaps in data harmonization, data standards, and data integration in neurocritical care.
Unexpected Showcases and Demonstrations
After being canceled in 2020 and downsized in 2021, HIMSS 2022 was fully back this year filling up much of the gargantuan Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Our work in managing data depends on standards and connectivity between sources and users of data. The connectivity we are all used to with computer systems is what we are after in critical care.
We walked around a large section of HIMSS called the Interoperability Showcase and we talked to vendors who specialize in data connectivity, standards, and smart gadgets. Most of the data connection technology was to get provider data to payers and there didn’t seem to be much of a focus on clinical care.
We did see a nice demo from the European OR.net group on connectivity in the ICU but the widespread use of this is in the future. We looked at a few “smart beds” that can transfer data to an aggregator to provide head-of-bed angle and other metrics. The Federal Government was there in full force with one area demonstrating new technology funded by the U.S. Army.
Looking forward to HIMSS 2023
In spite of HIMSS being the worldwide epicenter for healthcare informatics, we left without seeing much useful for acute care. The meeting is huge and, of course, we could have missed a small gem of technology and we will keep our eyes open. We look forward to attending next year and, hopefully, there will be more progress in ICU data connectivity as we ourselves are working to advance and revolutionize the data infrastructure for neurocritical care.
