01 May Digital Healthcare Conference marks Wisconsin's Healthcare IT Week
Madison, Wis. — What are you doing for Healthcare Information Technology Recognition Week? About 200 people will be marking the event, declared officially by governor Jim Doyle, by attending the Digital Healthcare Conference 2006 on May 3 and 4.
Healthcare IT Week recognizes the contribution that information technology makes to keeping people healthy and to the Wisconsin economy. Major healthcare technologies are being developed and adopted in communities throughout the state.
“We have the opportunity to transform healthcare,” said Mike Klein, founder and producer of the Digital Healthcare Conference. “Information technology can improve the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of our healthcare system.”
The conference begins Wednesday evening and continues all day Thursday, with sessions on dealing with pandemic flu, patient-centric healthcare, Wisconsin’s E-Health Initiative, lost and stolen medical records, and more.
“Information technology can have a positive impact on healthcare quality, and the Digital Healthcare Conference 2006 offers a special opportunity to hear from industry leading experts on the progress we are making.” said Dr. Barry Chaiken, conference chair and associate chief medical officer of BearingPoint.
Healthcare providers know they need help to manage a growing number of patients with more medications, chronic conditions and travel between different institutions, said Dr. Seth Foldy, a healthcare consultant with an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin. But sometimes IT can stay in the background.
“Healthcare people are more and more acutely aware of what they need but don’t have,” Foldy said. “They don’t think of it in terms of IT, necessarily, but they’re aware that every day they’re making decisions without having the information they need.”
Coverage on WTN
For a recent special issue of WTN, we asked William Yasnoff, founder of the eHealthTrust initiative, why his system can foster the adoption of electronic health records that today are fractured and limited. Yasnoff is a well-known figure in healthcare who was previously senior advisor to the federal Department of Health and Human Services on the National Health Information Infrastructure.
• Interview: Dr. William Yasnoff on health records and patient control, part 1
He went on to explain some of the principles involved in keeping such a system private, secure and trusted, and the troubles with building compatibility between systems.
• Interview: Dr. William Yasnoff on health records and patient control, part 2
And for more on Chaiken’s view of avian flu and the potential for a human pandemic in the near future, read up on his column and interview for WTN:
• Barry Chaiken: Preparing for avian flu with information technology
• Interview: Dr. Barry Chaiken on changing healthcare, AI and pandemic flu
During and after this year’s conference, look for more coverage of the sessions and speakers on WTN.
Recap: DHC 2005
Last year’s conference came just days after Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the creation of the American Health Information Community. The community was formed to make recommendations for a nationwide electronic health records system. Speakers and attendees discussed that subject and many others, like the real effects of pay-for-performance incentive plans.
• Experts spar over incentives for health-care providers
• Digitizing hospitals with the right tools
• Organizations finding ways to overcome barriers to electronic health records implementation
• IT guru Melissa Chapman: how to make health IT work for the bottom line
This year, the Digital Healthcare Conference will see many repeat visitors and many new faces. DHC 2006 will be held May 3-4 in the Fluno Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit the DHC 2006 web site for more information and registration.