Making a splash with over 35,000 attendees at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, April 17-21, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise made themselves known at HIMSS’ 2023 Annual Conference. From Educational Sessions to Use Case Demos in the Interoperability Showcase, to the new-this-year IHE Learning Lab, Interoperability and Standards were a major highlight of this year’s conference!
IHE Learning Lab
An area dedicated to highlighting the important work done by IHE and our strategic partners within the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase, the IHE Learning Lab offered a space for networking, conversation, and short learning bursts on important subjects ranging from Open Source Tooling, Granular Privacy Protection, eConsent, and more.
The Bill Majurski Interoperability Research Advancement Program Award (IRAP) and Connectathon23
Presented by John Hodgson at ImageTrend, this session focused on ImageTrend’s experience as a first-time participant in both the IHE North American Connectathon in Austin, TX (March 2023) and the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase at the 2023 Annual Conference. John explained the benefits of rigorous testing for ImageTrend, how they have expanded their connections through IHE’s community, and next steps for their organization and the future of EMS in the Interoperability sphere.
Art of the Possible - eConsent
The Stewards of Change Institute, Project Unify, and others joined us to demonstrate components of a Consent Service Utility (CSU), an open-source, open-standards technical solution and architecture to modernize the consent process and enable its use across healthcare, behavioral health and human services such as housing, education, child welfare and other social determinants of health and well-being.
Update on the ONC Cooperative Agreement with IHE USA
Project Leads and Contributors John Moehrke, Andrea Fourquet, and Evan Dunne updated us on the Cooperative Agreement between the Office of the National Coordinator and IHE USA, which has homed in on supporting and advancing the International Patient Summary and other FHIR Implementation Guides.
IHE-NEMSIS Emergency Medical Services eOutcomes TaskForce
Josh Legler of NEMSIS TAC shared how current IHE Profiles can have a major effect on the EMS community and promote interoperability in this important field, and what IHE and NEMSIS are doing to share and improve upon these standards. You can get involved by joining the EMS Interoperability Taskforce. Join the Google Group and check out the Github Repository. Next meeting is May 11th!
Open Source Tooling to Support the International Patient Summary and Emergency Medical Services
Kendrah Baker (Interoperability Institute) and Shane McNamee (Smile Digital Health) reviewed the MELD Sandbox and HAPI FHIR Open Source Tools, why they are essential in today’s Interoperability landscape, and how they’ll support the future of EMS and the International Patient Summary.
IHE Connectathon and Supportive Partners
Marilee Benson and Ron Wilson from Zen Health IT gave an overview of their time supporting the IHE North American Connectathon as Virtual Supportive Testing Partners, a new program implemented in 2023 to offer a wider range of testing partners for onsite participants in IHE Testing. Highlighting the benefits of testing, even without Monitor help and network connectivity which only come with testing onsite, we were honored Zen Health IT could join us!
Updates from the IHE International Domain Committees
Representatives from the Radiology (Brad Genereaux), Devices (Stefan Schlichting), Patient Care Coordination, and Quality, Research & Public Health (Derek Ritz) Domain Committees shared updates from their respective Domains, driving home the incredible impact IHE Profiles have had around the world and sparking deep conversation on the future of Interoperability and Standards.
Granular Privacy Protection and Equitable Interoperability
The growing interoperable ecosystem with all of its advancement in care coordination and quality has also brought with it inadvertent disparities; patients with sensitive data are forced to choose to share their information in an "all or none" manner, whereas those without such conditions are afforded all of the benefits of interoperability. Shift, the independent healthcare task force for interoperability, is working collaboratively on new solutions, including standards development work, addressing controversial implementation challenges, and future policy implications. Hannah Galvin and team provided an overview of SHIFT Interoperability use cases and a proof-of-concept demonstration related to data segmentation for privacy.
NEMSIS and IHE USA in the Thought Leadership Theater
Through their strategic partnership with IHE USA, the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) held an hour-long presentation and Q&A discussing the unique challenges related to health information exchange and interoperability for emergency medical services. Presenters Michael Patock (ImageTrend), Andrea Fourquet (eHealthSign, IHE PCC Technical Co-Chair, IHE USA Informatics Consultant), and Joshua Legler (NEMSIS TAC), shared how EMS stakeholders can leverage existing IT infrastructure and opportunities to overcome information exchange barriers to help drive improvements in patient outcomes.
IHE Profiles Featured in the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase
The HIMSS Interoperability Showcase, the highest-rated attendee experience at HIMSS Annual Conference, allows you to experience real-time interoperability transactions with real-world scenarios using standards-based technology - including IHE Profiles!
As live health data exchange to support continuity of care and improve outcomes occurs, attendees witness the impact of competitive systems and products working together to improve clinical outcomes, quality, and patient experience. IHE Profiles were highlighted in demonstrations focused on Emergency Response and Treatment, Silent ICU, Mother and Baby Care, Radiology AI, and more!
More information on the Demonstrations can be found on the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase Event Page.
Questions?
We are glad to assist you. Please contact IHE USA at Connectathon@ihe.net