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COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The hallmark of this year's World of Health ITshow, which opens today in Copenhagen, is an emphasis on healthcare ITinitiatives occurring in the event's host country and region.
Officials of the show's Organizing Committee - made up of thenewly-refocused HIMSS Europe, the European Commission and other groups- hope the concentration on local providers, vendors and governmentbodies will set a new standard for the show. The World of Health IT washeld in Vienna last year under the auspices of the former, broaderHIMSS EMEA.
Michael Strübin, executive director for HIMSS Europe, said thelocalized format will allow the show to spotlight issues that arepertinent to attendees, whereas previous shows included sessions andspeakers that attendees found "nice to know, but not need-to-know."
"We still want to hold tight to our idea of developing aEurope-wide marketplace of health IT vendors and users, but at leastinclude a major influence of the country where we are hosted andbased," said Strübin in an interview with Healthcare IT News.
"We won the cooperation of two major Danish organizations (MedCom andDigital Sundhed) that are involved in healthcare IT in Denmark," saidStrübin. "This found its most significant reflection in a dedicatedDanish/Nordic track. (The track) was developed exclusively by our hostorganizations."
Attendees will learn of Denmark's healthcare IT system in MedCom's"Danish Village" exhibit. "It's a showcase of the integration andelectronic flow of information, and visitors to the Danish Village cansee how it's all been integrated," Strübin said. "HIMSS has alwaysthought of the major health IT player as the hospital, and obviously inEurope you have a lot more coming from the regional or nationaladministration. You will see that in action at the Danish Village."
The latest registration numbers show nearly one-third of theshow's attendees this year will be from Denmark and neighboringcountries, Strübin noted.
Another change to the format is a more freely accessibleexhibition floor than in previous years - Strübin said attendees willbe able to remain on the show floor during keynotes and sessions.Attendees didn't appreciate the separation of exhibition and educationin past years, he said.
Speakers at WoHIT 2008 include Viviane Reding, the EuropeanCommission's commissioner for information society and media; Jakob AxelNielsen, Denmark's minister for health and prevention; Former PrimeMinister of Finland Esko Aho; and Nicholas Negroponte, chairmanemeritus of the MIT Media Lab.
Strübin expects that WoHIT 2008 will see a 25-percent increase in attendance over last year's show.
"We're always hoping for that signal moment where World ofHealth IT takes off with massive growth, but realistically, we'relooking at steady growth," he said. "We're very pleased with the waythings are developing. We're hoping we can break the 2,000 barrier andget as much as possible above 2,000 people. World of Health IT is veryconfident that we're filling a niche that is only growing."
