Navigating IT in the Healthcare Industry

Perspectives from HIMSS 2023

Another HIMSS Conference is in the books. The Annual Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference in Chicago is the largest health IT trade show in North America, boasting nearly 34,000 attendees and 1,700 exhibitors for 2023. HIMSS attracts healthcare provider organizations from across the country, leaders in healthcare IT and industry thought leaders who convene over five days of educational sessions, keynote addresses and a technology exhibition focused on everything from value based care and AI/machine learning to health access and interoperable exchange of protected health information (PHI), among many other relevant topics of interest. Konica Minolta exhibited for the eleventh straight year, with the exception of 2020, which was canceled due to COVID, and 2021, which was poorly attended due to COVID. And it appears that conferences are finally on their way back.  Attendance is approaching pre-COVID levels, the buses were busy, as were the Uber and Lyft rideshare zones, and hotels and restaurants were booked solid.

According to CMS, the healthcare industry represented 18.3% of the U.Ss GDP in 2021, or $4.3 trillion. And Global Market Insights valued the North American healthcare IT sector at just over $100 billion in 2022, with a 13.5% CAGR through 2032. With industries this large, not to mention the multi-payer public and private health insurance system in the U.S., and regulatory compliance requirements, a complex business environment is inevitable. Navigating this landscape has proven challenging, with COVID exacerbating cracks in the foundation, and forcing hospitals, health systems and other care providers to rethink how they deliver care and remain financially viable. One key component of that is technology, and this is where HIMSS contributes toward the national healthcare conversation.

HIMSS has developed a reputation as a PR platform for companies to introduce new products and solutions, and provides an opportunity for start-ups – as well as for established healthcare solution and service organizations – to present their value proposition to the healthcare industry.

Konica Minolta leveraged this opportunity, and participated in the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase, which brings companies together to collaborate on a specific patient journey, and to design optimum workflows and system integrations to support the journey and provide a longitudinal view of that patient’s care. Konica Minolta highlighted our workflow automation platform that enables care providers the ability to address the ever-present challenge of paper, fax and processes that continue to plague healthcare.

Interoperability continues to be a key focus for the healthcare industry, and the HIMSS conference in particular. In addition to the workflow automation platform, Konica Minolta offers a portfolio of solutions and services that address the persistent lack of system interoperability, such as:

• Interoperability and Integration services via our MIT Healthcare practice
• Healthcare Enabled MFP Plus Connected by Kno2™, an app available from the Konica Minolta Marketplace that provides plug and play integration to numerous post-Acute EHRs for scan-to-patient or resident charts, HIPAA-Compliant Cloud Fax and Secure, Direct Messaging
• Intelligent Information Management services, which include enterprise content management solutions and Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

And while interoperability is often the linchpin of many healthcare initiatives, there are many other critical areas to consider. The HIMSS conference included multiple sessions and exhibitors addressing cybersecurity, a critical component of a well-functioning healthcare delivery system, and under attack as never before. As reported in Medical Economics, healthcare accounted for nearly 35% of all cyber-attacks in 2022, requiring healthcare executives to prioritize budgets accordingly.

Konica Minolta offers a broad range of cybersecurity services. Our industry leading measures cover defensive and offensive strategies, as well as cloud backup and disaster recovery services to protect and preserve PHI. And our HIPAA Assessment services are a valuable and necessary resource for healthcare organizations of all sizes as they conduct their annual HIPAA risk assessments.

Digital Transformation (DX) was another popular trend at HIMSS, triggered by the tight labor market and inflationary pressures that are necessitating innovative approaches to operational efficiency, cost reduction and care delivery. Within the healthcare industry, DX and digital health are often used interchangeably, and this definition of digital health by TechTarget Health IT describes it well: “Digital health innovations are designed to help save time, boost accuracy and efficiency, and combine technologies in ways that are new to healthcare.”

This is a particularly relevant topic for Konica Minolta as we are several years into our DX strategy, with solutions and services that solve a number of challenging issues for our healthcare customers, including:

• Konica Minolta’s workflow automation solution, mentioned previously, advances DX by automating legacy manual, paper-intensive processes, especially for patient intake departments.
• Video Security Solutions provide advanced video analysis, delivering enhanced physical and building security, including AI-driven weapons detection, thermal imaging and a variety of use cases.
• Dispatcher Phoenix and Paragon Suite offers advanced document capture and workflow, as well as secure document release solutions with EHR connectivity to drive improved document management processes across the care continuum, and reducing costly labor-intensive processes.

HIMSS is always an exhilarating experience, and 2023 was no exception. Konica Minolta was excited to participate in the Interoperability Showcase, and engage with current and future customers, as well as other technology providers, as we forge ahead in the healthcare DX journey. Thanks to everyone who visited us at our exhibit and the showcase, and we look forward to seeing you all again in Orlando next March at the 2024 HIMSS Annual Conference.