19 - 21 April 2016, Berlin, Germany.At conhIT, Europe's largest and most important event for digital healthcare, 451 exhibitors from 16 countries (2015: 388 exhibitors from 14 countries) will be displaying their products and solutions for greater efficiency and improved quality in health care. All the industry's market leaders, numerous German SMEs and combined pavilions with exhibitors from Austria, Switzerland, Estonia, as well as first-time exhibitors, including from Finland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Canada, Slovenia, Taiwan, South Korea and the USA, will be represented at the event. At the ninth edition of conhIT more than 7,500 visitors from Germany and abroad are expected to attend the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Congress, Academy and Networking Events will be held at the same time. Career offers and a job market for young professionals will round off the event. The supporting congress under the slogan of ’Focus on the Patient - Innovative Healthcare IT’ will look at the key topics of ’Patient Empowerment’, ’Mobility and Apps’ and ’Patient-centred Process Support’. As acting patron, Federal Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe will open the three-day event.
Dialogue between manufacturers, users, politics and science
In three halls, on a display area measuring 18,000 square metres, trade visitors can find out about IT solutions covering the entire spectrum of health care in hospitals, medical practices, rehab centres and nursing homes. The focus is on products that enable networked communications between all the relevant players, make it easier to manage ever-increasing amounts of data and which supply the information needed for successful treatment. Attention will be given to topics concerning the patient and protecting sensitive health data. For the first time at conhIT the IT Security Area in Hall 2.2 features a display area with information on protecting IT systems against cyber attacks, secure cloud computing and secure mobile apps.
The focus of the mobile health ZONE is on health apps for consumers and experts from the medical field. This special area was set up in 2015 and has now been expanded. On 19 April, day one of the fair, startups will introduce themselves to health insurance companies and hospital groups will also discuss their digital strategies. On 20 April, day two, the focus will be on the mobile health strategies of pharmaceutical companies. Berlin Partner is organising a ’Digital Health Startup Showcase’, and as part of the internationally well-known AppCircus series an awards ceremony will take place to honour the most innovative apps.
For the first time, the International Networking Lounge powered by GTAI will be open to trade visitors on all three days of the fair and will feature a supporting programme.
Dirk Hoffmann, CFO Messe Berlin: "Since its launch eight years ago conhIT has continuously expanded its format and grown in size. During this time exhibitor and visitor numbers have trebled, impressively illustrating the dynamic pace at which the event has developed. It is now recognised as Europe's leading health IT event and attracts 80 per cent of senior decision-makers in healthcare. Every year, exhibitor and visitor interest from abroad increases. This year, conhIT has become larger, more international and wide-ranging than ever before. New features such as the IT Security Area, a lounge with a programme especially for international trade visitors, as well as the expanded mobile health ZONE have made conhIT even more attractive. Thanks to the increase in exhibitors and the unique combination of an Industrial Fair, the programmes of the Congress, the Academy and Networking Events, together with the organisers, the German Association of Health IT Vendors (bvitg) we will be able to continue this success story."
Healthcare IT has untapped potential
The German Association of Health IT Vendors (bvitg) which, in association with it partners the German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS), the German Medical Informatics Professional Association (BVMI), the German Association of Hospital IT Managers (KH-IT) and the Chief Information Officers of University Hospitals (CIO-UK) has developed conhIT, is delighted with the event's increasing appeal among exhibitors. Jens Naumann, board member of the German Association of Health IT Vendors (bvitg): "conhIT provides the health IT industry with an outstanding platform for showcasing their innovations and solutions to users and decision-makers - and at the same time for highlighting the potential of IT in healthcare. IT is an essential part of the work processes of healthcare players, and a healthcare system without IT is inconceivable. Levels of hospital investment in IT are forecast to rise over the coming years. Political decision-makers have also grasped the importance of health IT and by enacting the eHealth Law have laid down binding rules for networked communications in the healthcare system. It is now up to us to confront the issues addressed in the law, by engaging in a dialogue with all the relevant players in the healthcare system. In doing so we should not forget up-and-coming enterprises, who will be represented in the mobile Health Zone. By showing ways of creating added value from digitalisation beyond traditional IT structures these companies give the industry a special boost."
conhIT is a meeting place for all decision-makers and leading manufacturers of healthcare IT systems as well as for the industry and young professionals. Demand for specialists and executives is growing all the time. At conhIT companies will also be advertising themselves as prospective employers, with information on job and career opportunities in this sector. At the conhIT job market visitors can get information on more than 170 job vacancies and take part in career workshops as well as a career speed networking event. conhIT career services specifically target students who will soon be graduating and want to get started in a career. Numerous universities have registered excursions at conhIT. Overall, around 400 students are expected to attend.
A wide-ranging programme featuring innovative topics
The slogan of the conhIT Congress is 'Focus on the Patient - Innovative Healthcare IT' and looks at the information, development and advanced training requirements in the health IT sector. Besides familiar topics the agenda includes innovative sessions with a focus on practical aspects. Key topics also include patient-centred process support, intersectoral communications, mobility and apps, standardisation and interoperability, reducing bureaucracy in patient care documentation, quality management, quality assurance and health telematics solutions.
Prof. Dr. Paul Schmücker, vice president, German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS): "By featuring topics such as big data, mHealth, wearables, data warehouses, patient empowerment, the eHealth Law and the IT Security Law we are addressing the latest issues discussed by experts. Last year’s programme devoted to hospital directors was very well received and will be continued. We will also examine strategic topics of concern to hospital IT heads."
New sessions include 'IT security', 'Benchmarking in the health industry', 'Health 4.0 - learning from Industry 4.0' and 'International markets'.
For further information, please visit:
http://www.conhit.de/en/
About conhIT - Connecting Healthcare IT
conhIT targets decision-makers in IT departments, management, in the medical profession, nursing, doctors, doctors' networks and medical care centres who need to find out about the latest developments in IT and healthcare, meet members of the industry and make use of opportunities for high-level advanced training. As an integrated event, over a period of three days conhIT combines an Industrial Fair, a Congress and Networking Events that are of particular interest to this sector. Launched in 2008 by the German Association of Healthcare IT Vendors (bvitg) as the meeting place for the healthcare IT industry and organised by Messe Berlin, this event recorded 388 exhibitors and around 7,500 visitors in 2015 and has now become Europe's leading event for the healthcare IT sector.
conhIT is organised in cooperation with the following industry associations: the German Association of Healthcare IT Vendors (bvitg), the German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS), the German Association of Medical Computer Scientists (BVMI). The National Association of Hospital IT Managers (KH-IT) and the Chief Information Officers of University Hospitals (CIO-UK) have provided contributions to the subject matter.