Today, nurses are effecting change in the development and adoption of interoperable systems across the nation, showing quantifiable impact on population health. The role of the nurse in the use of technology to improve the delivery of patient care has evolved. To address these changes, the HIMSS10 Nursing Informatics Symposia and HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition offered specialized education for the diverse and growing nursing audiences within the health information technology (IT)industry. These events were held in Atlanta, GA, on February 27 to March 4, 2010.
HIMSS10 Facts:
* 27,500+ healthcare industry experts learning about the latest solutions for improving healthcare through IT
* 30% of attendees come from healthcare provider settings
* 20% of attendees were CIOs and CEOs
* 8% international attendance
* More than 300+ education sessions
* More than 900 exhibiting companies
(As of March 3, 2010)
The Foundations of Nursing Informatics: Achieving Meaningful Use and the Impact on Nursing provided a nurse-focused interpretation of meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHRs) for 2011. "The 'Meaningful Use' sessions provided an excellent overview of the complexity and barriers of new regulations by explaining how they really work," according to an HIMSS 2010 Nursing Informatics Symposium attendee. Discussions provided many insights on the impact of standards and certification on EHR systems, implementing SNOMED CT to achieve meaningful use while demonstrating meaningful use through quality measures. Immediately following the Nursing Informatics Foundation sessions, the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Community Reception provided more than 90 individuals an opportunity to digest the implications of the new government regulations while networking with colleagues.
More than 300 nurses enjoyed the full-day Nursing Informatics Symposium: Realizing the Promise of Health IT for Nursing on Sunday, February 28, 2010, which brought together a dynamic platform of nurse leaders to address current nursing informatics issues. A key highlight was the presentation of the 2010 HIMSS Nursing Informatics Leadership Award to Ida Androwich, PhD, RN, BC, FAAN, for her visionary leadership and outstanding contributions to the specialty of nursing informatics.
One conference attendee stated, "The nursing preconference events challenge attendees to strive for excellence in IT, to provide top quality care for patients and the healthcare industry, and to preserve the uniqueness of nursing." Two tracks were offered: Positioning for Implementation Success and Demonstrating the Value of HIT; sessions included:
* A Practical Approach to Usability: Making Systems Work for Nurses was presented by Nancy Staggers, PhD, RN, FAAN. Dr Staggers outlined what attendees could do to improve the usability of clinical technology in their own facilities.
* Is Technology Really Supporting Nursing Practice? was presented by Curtis Dikes, MSN, RN, ACNPBC, CLNC, CNAA-BC. Mr Dikes used audience polling techniques to explore if and how technology supports nursing practice.
* The Evolution of Informatics Competencies was presented by Kathryn Sapnas, PhD, RN, CNOR, and Diane Skiba, PhD, FAAN, FACMI. Drs Sapnas and Skiba discussed the need to prepare all nurses with necessary informatics competencies, including social networking tools and virtual worlds as learning platforms.
* Medical Cloud Computing: Is Your Cell Phone Smarter Than Your Doctor? was presented by Robin A. Felder, PhD. Dr Felder took the audience to a future state where wellness technologies are built into medical automation so that consumers can better manage their own healthcare and live healthier lives.
HIMSS10 First!
A first-time book signing by editors of the new Nursing and Informatics for the 21st Century: An International Look at Practice, Education and EHR Trends, Second Edition by Charlotte Weaver, PhD, MSPH, RN, FHIMSS; Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI; Patrick Weber, MA, RN; and Robyn L. Carr, RGON
NURSING LEADERSHIP AT GENERAL SESSIONS
The HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition included thought leadership and expertise by nursing professionals. Patricia Flatley Brennan, PhD, RN, presented a Views From the Top educational session on Promoting Health Through Better Personal Health Information Management and Patricia Adamski, MS, MBA RN, presented a Views From the Top session on The Joint Commission 2010 National Patient Safety Goals. The Views From the Top sessions are popular, high-level education sessions featuring well-known, eminently regarded speakers discussing key topics related to health IT. These speakers demonstrated the important role nurse leaders play in advancing health IT that addresses the needs of consumers and clinicians.
The HIMSS Davies Award (http://www.himss.org/davies) winning organization's nurse leaders discussed nursing's role in contributing to the overall successful planning, implementation, and evaluation of their EMR system during the Nursing Synergy sessions. Additionally, a TIGER (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform) update was held that addressed current activities that enable practicing nurses and nursing students to fully engage in the unfolding digital electronic era in healthcare. The work of TIGER phase II can be accessed at http://www.tigersummit.com
NATIONAL HIT AGENDA AND ENGAGING NURSES
As the national health IT agenda continues to take shape, issues regarding meaningful-use criteria, financial incentives, privacy, security, and standards are the centerpieces for discussion. The conference provided a number of opportunities for nurse leaders to engage in open and candid dialogue with federal leaders, colleagues, and HIMSS leadership. Town halls and educational sessions included The National HIT Agenda-A Meaningful Town Hall Discussion, the HIMSS Member Town Hall on Meaningful Use, and an EHR Certification Town Hall on Meaningful Use.
Learn more about educational content, including webinars, live events, workshops, practical resources, and tools to enhance nursing informatics practice at http://www.himss.org/ni.