HIMSS in Atlanta and online

The HIMSS annual convention going on this week in Atlanta is a 30,000-person blowout of epic proportions (and, yes, there was snow there but not in Boston), with many industry announcements, product launches, and meetings and sessions large and small.  There were a ton of blog posts (even a couple of blogger panels – sorry I couldn't participate remotely), and a blizzard of tweets at #HIMSS10. (Alternative selection of tweets here.) 

For some up-close-and-personal looks at products and services brought to the conference, look no further than the Better Health livestreamed video interviews from HIMSS.  (See the Better Health HIMMS video interview archive.)  @DrVal (Val Jones),  @DoctorAnonymous (Mike Sevilla) and @Blogborygmi (Nick Genes) have been doing a bang-up job broadcasting to those interested well beyond the exhibit halls, and have been taking questions online for the interviewees from other Better Health network bloggers and the general public.

While some question the coziness of HIMSS and CCHIT with the regulators in establishing meaningful use criteria and certification standards, the fact of the matter is that these organizations are on the ground, and the latest chapter of HITECH Act regulations — the EHR certification regulation — debuted at HIMSS today.

Also on the agenda today was a session on the 2009 HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence recipients — and a call for applications for the 2010 Davies Awards, which are granted to reward

excellence in the implementation and value derived from the use of healthcare information technology (HIT), specifically EHRs, by provider organizations, private practices, public health entities and community health organizations.

All in all, it seems to be an action-packed meeting — even at this distance, which is lessened thanks to the magic of social media — and I am pleased to be associated with the crew at Better Health who are doing a terrific job of covering key offerings at the conference.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting