Before March 15th, there was a lot of speculation into how the first ever collaboration between the European Commission's High Level Ministerial Conference and the World of Health IT Conference & Exhibition would proceed.
On Thursday March 18th, all skeptics were convinced. The Barcelona event was an immense success. Throughout the week, the conference was hailed as the largest pan-European eHealth conference, and by many; the best.
eHealth week 2010 gathered 3200 delegates; 95 exhibitors and was visited by an astounding 150 international journalists. Press articles appeared on a daily basis across Europe and TV & Radio stations were broadcasting live from the event. VIP's included the Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes and Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli. The conference also hosted Ministers of Health and State Secretaries from the 27 member states and a number of high level key note speakers.
Jeremy Bonfini, Senior VP, HIMSS Global said: "Never in the history of World of Health IT have we experienced such a high number of delegates and media interest, not to mention the fact that the exhibition show floor was sold out weeks before the event took place. These facts confirm that there is a need for a truly European eHealth conference which offers solutions and demonstrates the convergence of healthcare systems on a local, national and international level."
On Wednesday, March 17th, the HIMSS Europe eHealth Leadership award was presented to Niels Rossing, a Danish champion in eHealth. Mr. Rossing said that he was accepting this on behalf of the entire European eHealth Community, who have already paved the road to eHealth with many significant achievements.
The event ended with the announcement that eHealth week 2011 will be held in Budapest, during the Hungarian Presidency.
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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.