During the Interoperability Showcase at the World of Health IT Conference from 15-18 March 2010 in Barcelona patients move to the center stage. The Interoperability Showcase is a hands-on, interactive demonstration of the power of interoperability among health information systems.
The events and activities of the showcase, which will highlight the significant progress made in Europe towards delivering the right information at the right moment for seamless patient care, can count on the participation of government decision makers and industry leaders alike.
Developers of health information systems and devices will invite participants at the eHealth Week to become fictional patients and to follow the data generated for their diagnosis and treatment along the clinical pathway as each product becomes a link in a coordinated chain of care.
This patient-centered approach provides WoHIT participants with a personal experience to the advantages of a common framework for health information systems' interoperability developed by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE).
This year's Interoperability Showcase in Barcelona also offers ongoing presentations of the growing number of success stories for IHE-based electronic patient record (EPR) projects in Europe. Caregivers across Europe are increasingly benefiting an easier access to patient-related information available at any moment and from any location, no matter where the original data was generated.
A project of the Veneto region in Italy, using IHE profiles and structures, will demonstrate how a network of interlinked facilities gathers patient-related electronic medical records that traditionally were scattered among primary care centers, hospitals, private physician's practices.
Another project, from the Spanish state of Catalonia shows the benefits of open source development using IHE profiles. And Continua Health Alliance, a non-profit open industry coalition to establish a system of interoperable personal health solutions, will together with IHE present the benefits of creating an eco-system of technologies working together for patient care.
The Interoperability Showcase opens in the afternoon of Monday, 15 March, and continues throughout Wednesday evening, 17 March. A spacious and dedicated exhibition space is reserved for the showcase.
Following vendors and IHE members are participating: 3M Engineering, Agfa, Alert, Costaisa, DBMotion, GEHC, Intersystems, ITH-iCoserve, Microsoft, Philips and Fujifilm.
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About the High Level eHealth Conference 2010
Co-organised by the forthcoming Spanish Presidency of the European Union and by the European Commission, with the cooperation of the Regional Government of Catalonia and the Foundation TicSalut, the High Level eHealth Conference 2010 is a ministerial event, representing since 2003 an important annual milestone in the field of ICT for healthcare. The conference theme of this 8th edition - "eHealth for Sustainable Healthcare Delivery: global challenges through local actions" - acknowledges the pressing perspective of a rapidly ageing European society, where the progressively extended life expectancy and the consequent increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases are globally posing serious challenges to the sustainability of national health systems. The conference will present how and why eHealth can make the difference in facing such a global challenge. Visit www.ehealthweek2010.org for more information.
About the World of Health IT Conference & Exhibition
The World of Health IT Conference & Exhibition is the leading forum for the advancement of Health IT in Europe. Addressing the needs of key stakeholders in the European eHealth Community, The World of Health IT Conference & Exhibition offers professional development sessions, vendor exhibitions, best practice exchanges, networking sessions, and debates and discussions on the issues that will shape the future of eHealth. The WoHIT Organising Committee comprises the EC (European Commission), HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society), EUROREC (European Institute for Health Records), COCIR (European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry), EHTEL (European Health Telematics Association) and EFMI (European Federation for Medical Informatics). Since its inception in 2006, WoHIT has welcomed over 5,000 attendees and 180 exhibitors from over 60 countries throughout Europe and Worldwide. Visit www.worldofhealthit.org for more information.
About IHE
Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise® (IHE, http://www.ihe.net) is a joint initiative by healthcare professionals and industry to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information. Systems developed in accordance with IHE communicate with one another better, are easier to implement, and enable care providers to use information more effectively.