CHICAGO —AI and its role in healthcare was a major theme of the HIMSS Global Health Conference and Expo (HIMSS23) from April 17 to 21 at McCormick Square in Chicago, with over 35,000 attendees from across the global healthcare ecosystem and over 90 countries. The group came together to discuss the latest advancements in healthcare and technology. Attendance numbers increased significantly compared to 2021 and 2022 attendance figures.
“Let’s be honest: This is the first time we’ve been to a HIMSS where it feels like we’re all back,” said Harold (Hal) Wolf, HIMSS President and CEO. During the COVID pandemic, HIMSS canceled its 2020 World Health Conference and Expo for the first time in 58 years.
THE Health Information and Management Systems Companybetter known as the HIMSS conference, is an annual event. This year’s, titled “Health that Connects + Tech that Cares,” featured more than 1,200 exhibitors and more than 200 educational sessions. Specialized pavilions included a Patient Engagement 365 pavilion, a cybersecurity command center, a federal health pavilion, an innovation hub, a startup park, and an interoperability showcase.
The conversation between Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during a Monday Night Football broadcast on Jan. 2, 2023, and UC Health emergency room surgeon Dr. Ryan Earnest, was captivating. Hamlin was one of several high-profile speakers at the conference.
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Other participants included Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and NBC News medical analyst; Deborah DiSanzo, president of Best Buy Health; Andrea M. Walsh, president and CEO of HealthPartners; and Tim Barry, president and CEO of VillageMD; Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics; and Ben Nemtin, co-founder of The Buried Life movement.
AI was the focus of the HIMSS23 conference’s keynote address, “Responsible AI: Prioritizing Patient Safety, Privacy, and Ethical Considerations.” Wolf prefaced the discussion by revealing that he asked ChatGPT how to solve global healthcare challenges. Andrew Moore, founder and CEO of Lovelace AI, who was on the opening panel, said, “There’s a big difference between developing AI and deploying it.” He added, “Don’t wait for a handful of Silicon Valley experts to deploy AI for you.”
At the panel, Christopher J. Ross, Mayo Clinic’s chief information officer, said, “For millennia, we’ve been looking for intelligent machines.” Another panelist, Reid Blackman, author and CEO of Virtue, said, “Chat GPT-4 doesn’t diagnose, it predicts the next set of words.”
Other hot topics discussed at the conference included trends and innovations in health information and technology, cybersecurity, health equity, workforce development, policy and care delivery.
Speakers included leaders and executives from Microsoft, Mayo Clinic, Amazon Pharmacy, Best Buy Health, VillageMD, World Health Organization – Europe, an NFL player/philanthropist and many others who inspired thousands throughout HIMSS23.
Contact Harold Wolf at hwolf@himss.org