HIMSS Europe, Odense University Hospital, NHS 24 and UPMC have announced a new partnership alliance, responsible for the organisation and execution of a new annual European Telemedicine conference. The event will be focusing on practical telemedicine, telecare and mobile health implementations, best practices, research, development, innovation, - all with a universal application.
The first conference is to be held in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland on October 29, 2013 and will be merged with the annual national Scottish Telehealth and Telecare conference, jointly hosted by NHS 24's Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare and the Scottish Government's Joint Improvement Team. Professor George Crooks, Medical Director, NHS 24 stated: "We are very proud of the progress we have made in implementing at-scale telehealth and telecare services in Scotland, supported by a strong strategic commitment from the Scottish Government, NHS Boards and Local Authorities. We are therefore delighted to be the host country and partner for the first European Telemedicine Conference. The conference will provide an opportunity to showcase best practice in telehealth and telecare from across Europe."
The conference will be subsequently held in Milan in 2014 and in Odense in 2015. Attendees of the conference can attend all conference sessions and there will also be an exhibition.
The four parties issued a shared statement: "The launch of this conference is a strong indication that Europe is taking a global leadership role in telemedicine and that we stand stronger together than alone. We want to create a platform for all stakeholders to share success stories and challenges cross borders with the objective to create high-quality, integrated and sustainable health and social care solutions for Europe."
The conference will be the place to meet for health and social care managers and practitioners, third and independent sector care providers, IT professionals, government & regional decision makers, academics, researchers, innovators and vendors.
To find out more about the European Telemedicine Conference, including call for papers procedures, please contact:
Christina Roosen, HIMSS Europe
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +45 40129395
For exhibition/sponsor opportunities, please contact:
Sean Roberts, HIMSS
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +44 7557 33 7066
About HIMSS
HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 52 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents nearly 50,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 570 corporate members and more than 225 not-for-profit partner organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems' contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care.
About JIT
The Joint Improvement Team (JIT) is uniquely co-sponsored by, and has shared accountability to, NHS Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Scottish Government, in strategic partnership with the Third and Independent Sectors. The JIT provides a range of practical improvement support and challenge including knowledge exchange, developmental innovation and improvement capacity and direct practical support to local health, housing and social care partnerships across Scotland. The JIT champions the identification, development, evaluation, spread and adoption of good practice to accelerate the pace of improvement towards the Scottish Government's vision for 2020; a vision that includes the aims that each of us is able to lead a longer, healthier life at home or in our own choice of setting in an integrated health and social care environment - which includes an increasing focus on prevention, anticipation and supported self-management.
About NHS 24 Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare
NHS 24 provides high quality, national telehealth services to people across Scotland through telephone, web, and other digital channels. NHS 24's Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare (SCTT) was established to support and guide the development of telehealth and telecare throughout Scotland. SCTT is tasked with disseminating best practice, providing clinical and technical support and incorporating telehealth and telecare into health and care service redesign.
About Odense University Hospital
Odense University Hospital (OUH) is the largest of the three university hospitals in Denmark. At OUH all medical specialties are represented in one place with approximately 10.000 people on staff.
OUH is the largest education and training center in the South Denmark Region and has close collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark - Campus Odense, next to which the new university hospital will be built in 2021. The new 'super hospital' is going to represent a re-designing of health care with a highly reduced number of beds and an increase in the use of new technology and new ways to provide patient-centred health care outside of the hospital in collaboration with other health care institutions on local and regional level. OUH contributes to influencing the future in health and care offered regionally, nationally and internationally by educating new highly skilled employees and by creating research results that both streamline and improve the care pathways of the future. OUH is one of the leading European facilities for developing and testing innovative technologies and telemedicine solutions. At present OUH treats a little over 1 million outpatients a year and has a capacity of 1100 beds for inpatients. OUH has a constant flow of students in all areas of the health sector, with 1600 student positions and roughly 2500 students training in the hospital a year.
About UPMC
UPMC is a $10 billion global health enterprise with more than 55,000 employees headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., and is transforming health care by integrating more than 20 hospitals, 400 doctors’ offices and outpatient sites, a health insurance services division, and international and commercial services. Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC ranked No. 10 in the prestigious U.S. News & World Report annual Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals in 2012—and No. 1 in Pennsylvania—with 15 adult specialty areas ranked for excellence. UPMC is redefining health care by using innovative science, technology and medicine to invent new models of accountable, cost-efficient and patient-centered care.