The ClearBridge Health IT team recently attended the HIMSS24 conference and had the opportunity to chat with healthcare IT colleagues, connect with industry experts, and explore the latest trends transforming the healthcare IT industry. The team noticed prominent themes and offered their key takeaways that resonate with the industry’s rapidly evolving landscape.
Government Programs
There’s been a large push in the federal space around Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), especially as it relates to specific DoD and Government compliance standards and patient data. Government agencies are prioritizing the GRC framework to better monitor and mitigate risks and maintain compliance with standards, regulations, and best practices.
EHR Modernization
Electronic Health Records (EHR) will continue to play a significant role in healthcare innovation moving forward, especially in the continuous efforts to improve interoperability and data exchange. Cerner introduced additional AI features, back-office integration, and streamlined data exchange. Epic has built out AI and ambient computing for clinicians. MEDITECH showcased Expanse, their flexible, web-based platform that provides greater mobility and improved care coordination.
Patient Experience
HIMSS24 highlighted the significance of putting the patient at the center of treatment. Sessions on patient portals, telehealth solutions, and expanding access to care reaffirmed the increasing need to provide patients with personalized experiences and convenient solutions. Innovative health systems are expanding their omnichannel approach to providing care, allowing patients to take a more active part in their health and wellness, which leads to improved outcomes and higher levels of patient satisfaction.
Security
In the wake of the Change Healthcare Ransomware attack, the largest healthcare security breach to date, robust cybersecurity measures are a top priority. With the increase in healthcare digitalization, data is spreading across many settings and is accessible to a wide variety of healthcare professionals. The highly sensitive nature of healthcare data, such as Personal Health Information (PHI) and Personal Identifiable Information (PII), further contributes to cyber risk in healthcare. HIMSS24 examined the evolving nature of cyber threats and the necessity for healthcare organizations to protect patient data, strengthen their networks against cyberattacks, and uphold trust.
AI
AI continues to push the boundaries of healthcare and is reshaping the industry, offering advancements to improve all aspects of patient management and care delivery. HIMSS24 provided insight into applications of AI and ML, including clinical decision-making, personalized and proactive care, and predictive analytics. While AI-powered solutions are giving healthcare professionals more time to devote to patient care, the need for government regulations and safeguards must be implemented to keep pace with AI technology.
Low-code and No-code
ClearBridge is seeing an increase in requests for low-code and no-code software development solutions, including Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Dynamics, to help migrate government agency and hospital enterprise applications to the cloud. Organizations have been struggling to align with these initiatives due to the limited availability of technology professionals with these skills.
Final Thoughts
While these takeaways touched on some of the most important topics discussed at HIMSS24, a common theme throughout was clear: collaboration. Together, we can create a future where healthcare is patient-centered, secure, data-driven, and connected. Here at ClearBridge, we bridge the technology gap by providing consulting and staffing services to help our clients meet strategic business and staffing challenges.
Contact us to learn more.
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