HIMSS Asia Pac’11 focuses on eHealth records

The HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Asia Pac ’11 Conference and Exhibition incorporating the HIMAA 2011 National Conference, opened on Tuesday, bringing together leading international experts in healthcare information systems and technology.

The three-day event, which is being held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, is particularly relevant to the city, given Australia’s National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) is establishing a national eHealth infrastructure. The organisers have put together a special Australia and New Zealand track for country-specific sharing and learning opportunities.

“It is the first time that we’ve held the HIMSS Asia Pac conference in Australia and we’ve brought together some of the world’s best health IT practitioners. It’s great to be able to facilitate an information exchange for effective deployment of healthcare IT solutions to improve patient care and delivery across the region," said H. Stephen Lieber, CAE, HIMSS President/CEO.

Dr. Mukesh Haikerwal (AO), National Clinical Lead for NEHTA, who delivered the keynote address to open the conference, said that the release of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) Concept of Operations in September was a major step forward for eHealth in Australia and all Australians will have the opportunity to register for an eHealth Record from 1 July 2012.

“Extensive engagement and consultation has been undertaken to get to this point. I am confident we are building an exceptional and world-leading eHealth system for Australia. ” he said.

The conference will feature 70 speakers from around the world, 77 presentations and five panel discussions. From pre-conference symposia and the Leadership Summit, to thought leader programs and education sessions, HIMSS Asia Pac’11 offers an opportunity to network with the growing healthcare information industry’s brightest minds.

“Victoria is particularly pleased to be hosting the first HIMSS Asia-Pacific Conference to be held in Australia . Participants are hearing directly from experts in different countries in the region who are dealing with very similar challenges, whether in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, Chile, New Zealand or Australia and this is exactly the kind of information exchange we were hoping for,” said HIMSS Asia Pac’11 Organising Committee Chairman Dr. Andrew P. Howard.

About 75 leading companies offering healthcare IT products and services are showcasing their cutting-edge technologies and innovative health IT solutions at the Exhibition.

The conference and exhibition, which is organised by HIMSS Asia Pacific, is the sixth edition in the region. Since its establishment, HIMSS Asia Pacific has successfully organised HIMSS Asia Pacific Conferences and Exhibitions around the region, in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Korea. Next year it returns to Singapore, where it will be held at the city-state’s exciting new destination venue of Marina Bay Sands.

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organisation exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare.

Founded 50 years ago, HIMSS and its related organisations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents more than 38,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organisations.

HIMSS also includes over 540 corporate members and more than 120 not-for-profit organisations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care.