MEDICA, the world's largest medical trade show, is once again in 2008 the central market platform for the medical equipment industry. Marking its 40th anniversary, this world forum of medicine is set to match the two previous years' record numbers: from November 19 - 22, over 4,300 exhibitors from 66 countries will present their products on 118,300 m² (net). Clearly structured, with each market segment assigned its own exhibition hall, MEDICA 2008 once again covers the entire range of medical equipment needs in practices and hospitals. It features products in the following areas: electromedicine / medical technology, laboratory equipment / diagnostics, physiotherapy / orthopedic technology, medical commodities and consumer goods, information and communication technology, textiles, medical furniture, and building technology.
Important cornerstones of MEDICA - in addition to exhibitor offerings, theme parks, and forums such as MEDICA MEDIA (telemedicine / medical IT in Hall 16), MEDICA VISION (innovation forum of research institutes and universities in Hall 3) and the Physiotherapy Forum (Hall 5) - include the MEDICA Congress as Germany's largest interdisciplinary development forum for healthcare professionals (with about 200 certified seminars and courses), and the German Hospital Conference.
Parallel to MEDICA, COMPAMED, the leading international trade show for suppliers to the medical manufacturing market, will be held from November 19 - 21, 2008. Featuring 519 exhibitors from 30 countries, it will significantly exceed the previous years record (450 exhibitors) and continue its dynamic expansion in Halls 8a and 8b. Suppliers will present a wide range of high-tech solutions for medical manufacturers - from new materials, components, intermediate products, packaging and services to complex microsystem technology and nanotechnology. MEDICA and COMPAMED 2008 together will occupy the entire exhibition site (19 halls). Both shows can be attended on the same ticket.
Electronic patient records make inroads
A hot topic at MEDICA 2008 will be rapid development in the networking of healthcare players using new applications, especially medical information technology.
Germany has long awaited the introduction of electronic health cards for all health insurance holders. Since late October, this chip card technology is being scrutinized in an official pilot project in Bottrop to ensure smooth functioning. But electronic health cards for all insured still seem to be a long way off, because physicians, politicians, health insurance companies and pharmacists have so far been unable to agree on the centralized storage of patient and treatment data and the standards that should apply to it.
Nevertheless, the industry is eager to demonstrate what can be done from a technical point of view to manage treatment processes more efficiently. At MEDICA 2008, numerous IT companies will present their cutting-edge solutions for implementing electronic patient records. There are already a number of successful projects underway in which hospitals work with referring physicians by sharing access to data from electronic patient records.
Compactness is in demand
Another trend, in addition to the growth in electronic networking of healthcare players, is the increasing compactness of medical devices that offer the same high performance as conventional systems. A highlight at last year's MEDICA 2007 was the world's smallest ultrasound scanner, compact enough to fit into any emergency case. This year's MEDICA 2008 will unveil CARDIOHELP, an innovation that is sure to astonish healthcare professionals: it is the worlds smallest heart-lung machine. Thanks to its handy format, the device can even be taken aboard ambulances and rescue helicopters. This will help patients who would otherwise need to be attached to a conventional, large heart-lung machine, and therefore not transportable.
MEDICA Trade Show and Congress is especially geared toward physicians and other healthcare professionals in hospitals, medical offices and laboratories, as well as hospital managers and medical equipment dealers. Of 137,000 healthcare professionals that attended MEDICA 2007, 40 percent came from other countries. Over 13,000 visitors were especially interested in COMPAMED. COMPAMED targets production managers, heads of research and development, and all those involved in planning the manufacture of medical products.
Opening hours for MEDICA and COMPAMED 2008: 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (MEDICA only).
Tickets for MEDICA are also good for COMPAMED (November 19 - 21, 2008) as well as for most events of the MEDICA Congress (held in German).
For further information, please visit:
http://www.medica.de and
http://www.compamed.de.
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