Health IT predictions for HIMSS 2018

Published On February 06, 2018

The HIMSS 2018 conference in Las Vegas is fast-approaching and the conference is a good place to gauge which health IT predictions and technologies are going strong in healthcare, which are transitioning from hype to reality, and which are fading from healthcare professionals’ purview.

Here are four health IT predeictions and trends that we think will be prevalent at this years’ HIMSS conference and in the healthcare industry:

Cloud computing is going strong

Although many in healthcare have been wary of the cloud for some time, those fears are being put to rest as health IT professionals are realizing all the value the cloud can bring to their healthcare organization including:

• Secure access to information anytime, anywhere

• Cost-effectiveness

• Improved delivery of care

In a survey conducted by HIMSS Analytics in January 2017, 63% of respondents said they were using the cloud to manage clinical applications.

AI begins to play a real role

Another or our health IT predictions is that artificial intelligence (AI) is making the transition to play a real role in healthcare in 2018. In a survey conducted by the Center for Connected Medicine, over half of the respondents said they are currently using AI. The survey also found that the most popular areas that health systems have either already implemented or plan to implement AI include clinical decision support, population health and disease management.

The push for medical imaging

In a recent report by Acumen Research and Consulting, a global provider of market research studies, it is expected that the medical imaging market will reach $18.5 billion by 2023. The report details that the key drivers causing this growth include advanced technologies, the upsurge in demand for functional imaging diagnostics, and the need for superior diagnostic imaging technologies to help patients with illnesses such as cancer.

Blockchain becomes a reality

Blockchain still has a long way to go. But when the government begins to show an interest – the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) held a blockchain challenge soliciting whitepapers on the uses of the technology in healthcare — in a technology, that’s a good indicator of whether that technology is purely hype or not.

Cybersecurity is top of mind

As always, cybersecurity is top of mind for healthcare professionals, especially in this cyber climate.

In 2017, the healthcare industry experienced 336 reported breaches, according to Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), with 4.93 million records exposed.

Although 2018 has only just begun, there have already been 13 reported healthcare breaches with 157,565 records exposed, according to the ITRC.

At HIMSS 2018, Iron Mountain’s industry experts will discuss in more detail how healthcare can survive a ransomware attack and thrive in this digital healthcare environment.