eHealth forum draws 750 delegates

OVER 750 healthcare IT delegates from 23 countries and regions including Greater China, Australia, Singapore and the US attended HIMSS AsiaPac13 Greater China eHealth Forum in Hong Kong to hear from the world’s leading experts on how IT is transforming the medical landscape.  Organised by HIMSS Asia Pacific, a not-for-profit organisation, the forum was held 1-2 August 2013 at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Conference Centre.  A pre-conference symposium on Nursing Informatics and Clinician IT Leadership took place at the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on 31 July 2013.

Global from technology suppliers, medical establishments, associations and governments including the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HKHA), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and IBM shared case studies including how Big Data is enabling medical practitioners to solve patient dilemmas quicker and how Mobile Electronic Medical Records help doctors and nurses access patients’ records on the go.

Stephen Lieber, CEO of HIMSS Global said: “HIMSS philosophy is about bringing people together so that they can hear about case studies and best practices from around the world. It’s an opportunity for healthcare IT professionals to learn from each other’s experiences. We held this year’s annual conference in Hong Kong because Greater China is extremely significant in terms of population and complexity and as an industry we are slowly moving from a local to global focus with regards to how healthcare is being delivered.”

The conference featured two forum tracks, the Greater China Forum and the International Forum, with more than 20 notable healthcare experts from 13 countries and regions. Alongside the Forum was a selection of exhibitors from around the world.

Tisa Murlock, director of Healthcare Solutions for VMware said: “We’ve participated in many HIMSS events in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific. We wanted to be involved in HIMSS AsiaPac13 in Hong Kong to gain a better understanding of how to penetrate the Greater China market. HIMSS events and conferences are the best way to reach decision makers from across the region.”

Dr Cheung, Chief Medical Informatics Officer at HKHA, said: “The attendees of HIMSS AsiaPac13 benefitted from international speakers' experience on tackling and solving the challenges of implementing ehealth systems. Some of the sessions in HIMSS were very impressive. The closing keynote provided a comprehensive ehealth record case study and illustrated good practice on how clinics can engage patients better. Another note-worthy presentation was how mobile technology is allowing front-line staff to provide improved healthcare to patients.”

HIMSS Asia Pacific’s next event is the inaugural Digital Healthcare Week 2013 in Singapore on 21-24 October at Marina Bay Sands. The Week will showcase how IT is transforming the full spectrum of the continuum of care. Industry players will come together for four days of collaboration, sharing and learning to improve patient access to quality healthcare.

HIMSS Asia Pacific, a cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on better health through information technology (IT), is a part of HIMSS WorldWide, a cause-based global enterprise that produces health IT thought leadership, education, events, market reseWomens Running Shoes & Running Clothes