Singapore Minister for Health to open HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 Digital Healthcare Week

Here are the hottest healthcare topics.

Digital Healthcare Week will return to Singapore for the fourth time from 15-18 September, 2014, bringing the world’s leading healthcare practitioners, technologists, policy makers and academics together for a series of forums, talks and exhibitions on the very latest innovations and applications of healthcare technology. The four-day event, which will be held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, will be officially opened by Singapore’s Minister for Health, Mr. Gan Kim Yong, on Monday, 15 September, 2014. 

HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 will feature keynote addresses and engaging sessions from speakers such as Dr. Rafael J. Grossmann, General Trauma, Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeon, Google Glass Explorer, Telemedicine and mHealth innovator, who was the first to use Google Glass in live surgery and will discuss how the device can open new possibilities in medicine. In addition, Professor Henrique Martins, MD, MPhil, PhD from
the Ministry of Health, Portugal, will share his insights on how to engage patients and lead physicians into adopting healthcare IT.

Welcoming more than 1000 visitors in 2013 and now into its 8th edition, the conference brings together leading industry speakers to provide a unique learning and networking opportunity for government policymakers, hospital senior executives, care providers, clinicians, nurses, healthcare IT professionals and technology companies. Over the course of four days, these professionals will come together to collaborate and share innovation within the healthcare industry with the common goal of enhancing the quality of patient-care and increasing efficiency.

Mr. Linus Tham, Chairperson, HIMSS AsiaPac14 – Digital Healthcare Week Organising Committee, said, “Following the success of our event in 2013, HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 will build on the developments and breakthroughs in the healthcare industry over the past year. For this eighth installment in September, we are looking forward to showcasing the very latest advances and findings from the implementation of technology in healthcare. These will be shared by some of the industry’s most respected figures from the Asia-Pacific region and across the globe.”

In addition to the keynotes and sessions, visitors to HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 will have a choice of informative tracks – panel discussions with policymakers, thought leaders and practitioners in the world of healthcare. Following their success in 2013, these sessions have been further expanded and developed as a unique opportunity for visitors to learn first-hand about the impact of technology and data in healthcare, from its development to implementation in some of the world’s leading medical institutions.

A series of seminars will also be held on topics such as:
• Regional HIT Track – The regional HIT track will bring together Government Policy Makers and Thought Leaders from Asia Pacific to discuss how the access to technology and data revolutionises the way health professionals work and deliver better care, with better outcomes.
• Physician IT Track – Learn from experts as they share their insights and experiences as Physicians in Healthcare IT. Join the discussion on the challenges in Healthcare IT governance, implementation and how they can be addressed.
• Nursing Informatics – Showcasing the importance of nursing informatics, as well as highlighting key challenges and obstacles in today’s health systems, with sessions led by Professor Kylie Ward  (Transformation Specialist, Australia) and Ms. May Yeok Wan Koo (School of Health Sciences, Nanyang  Polytechnic, Singapore).
• Personal Connected Health – Exploring how practitioners can make health and wellness a convenient part of daily life through technology, with an opening keynote by Dr. Steven Tucker (Founder, Tucker Medical, Singapore)
• Technology & Standards – Providing insights into the future of healthcare infrastructure and technology by exploring the state of current healthcare systems, hospitals and care providers, with an opening keynote by Don Sweete (CEO, The International Health Terminology Standards Development
Organisation, Canada)

During the opening ceremony on Monday, 15 September, HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 Digital Healthcare Week (HIMSS AsiaPac 2014) will also recognise healthcare institutions in the Asia-Pacific region for their successful implementation of technology with the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM™) Awards. Under HIMSS’ patented EMRAM system, institutions are ranked in 8 stages (0-7) with the goal of reaching stage 7 – a
complete paperless environment. Minister Gan will present awards to institutions in the region that have successfully reached stages 6, recognising their efforts in the journey towards supporting the true sharing, information exchange and immediate delivery of patient data to improve process performance, quality of care and patient safety.

The HIMSS-Elsevier Digital Healthcare Award, incorporated in 2013, comes back for its second installment this year with the aim to recognise organisations that are pushing the envelope with healthcare digitalisation initiatives that not only drive efficiencies, but also elevate and improve the quality of care. The awards will recognise public and private healthcare providers in Asia Pacific in three categories - outstanding achievement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), outstanding ICT innovation and outstanding Return on Investment (ROI).

From 15-17 September, delegates will also be able to visit the HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 Exhibition, where healthcare providers and vendors will be showcasing their latest innovations in technology, procedures and patient management from across the region.

Registration for HIMSS AsiaPac 2014 is open now at www.himssasiapac.org with Early Bird Registrations available until 15 August.