Showing posts with label #HIMSS15. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #HIMSS15. Show all posts

Sunday, April 19, 2015

An Agile Retrospective on Last Week’s #HIMSS15 Conference

Those who work in an “Agile Environment” know that a Retrospective review is often held after each sprint. The purpose of an Agile Retrospective is for team member’s to share three categories of information:

1. What worked well?
2. What did not work well?
3. What actions can we take to improve things going forward?

Click here to submit your thoughts on the above three questions.

Alternatively, some people like to use the Mad, Sad, Glad format where participants share what made them Mad, Sad or Glad about the sprint – in this case – the HIMSS Conference.

In this case, I’m thinking that “team member” means “HIMSS Conference Attendee.” One of the key benefits of a retrospective is that the recent events should be fresh in everyones mind and easier to recall and share.

If you’re willing to participate in a retrospective on last week's HIMSS Conference in Chicago, I’ve set up a Survey here. You do not have to enter any personal information unless you want to receive the survey results. And the survey is not unique to anyone so please feel free to share this survey.  I’ll publish the results next week and provide the entire detailed results to anyone who participates and gives me their email address.

If you have any questions on this survey, please contact me at HITConfGuy@gmail.com.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

23 Listicles Shared During the #HIMSS15 Conference in Chicago

In case you missed them, here are some "listicles" I shared during the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago.

Conference Tips





Functional





Miscellaneous


If you're interested in getting more information about Health Information Technology Conferences in North America, consider following @HITConfGuy on Twitter. For general information on Health Information  Technology, consider following @ShimCode on Twitter.


Friday, April 3, 2015

Questions to Ask Software Product Vendors at the HIMSS Conference



Visiting a vendors exhibit at the HIMSS Conference can be a good opportunity to learn specifics about a particular vendor's software product. Here are some questions to consider asking the vendor of any product you are considering implementing at your firm. I suggest tracking the vendor's response and comparing it to their response later on if you intend to move forward.

The Demonstration
1. Is this demo I’m watching the actual software or a special/scaled-down demo version?

Features & Functionality
2. What areas of the product are configurable? And who typically performs configuration changes after the product is implemented?

3. Is there a pending feature/functionality backlog? Can you share what major enhancements are planned for future versions of your product? Timeline?

4. Please tell me about the scalability of your software product and the key variables which impact performance?

Implementing the Product
5. How long is a typical implementation for your product?

6. What are the typical issues your customers can expect when implementing your product?

7. Would I be able to see a sample deployment project plan before making a decision?

8. What product modules, features and/or services are typically paid for a la carte vs. included in the purchase price?

9. What types of on-site services are included in the purchase?

10. What type of participation do you need from my staff when implementing your product?

11. Are there any 3rd party firms that specialize in the implementation and/or customization of your product? What is your company’s relationship with these firms?

Project Knowledge
12. What is the average length of experience for the people who will be working on my project? 


13. Would I be able to see the resumes of the staff who will be working on my implementation project before they start on the project?

14. What methodology, tools and approach does your staff use to manage and transfer product implementation and configuration settings and knowledge once the project is over?

Support
15. How many major releases are planned for the next 2-3 years?

16. Tell me about your service level agreement for getting bugs fixed

17. Tell me about your support plan

18. Can you provide at least three references from companies similar to mine?

What Else?

Consider following me on Twitter for more information on the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago.

How to Gracefully Exit a Conversation That’s Going Nowhere at #HIMSS Conference

There will probably come a time during the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago where you’ll find yourself trapped talking with a vendor, another attendee or a group of attendees in a conversation that’s going nowhere. You’re chatting with someone who won’t let you get a word in edgewise or someone is wasting time whining about their boss. What do you do? Do you grin and bear it? Or make up some excuse for why you have to leave on the double, jump ship, or head for the exits?

The Professional Approach

The “How to Network at a Conference” post on WikiHow provides a great approach as to “How to Excuse Yourself Gracefully. http://www.wikihow.com/Network-at-a-Conference


“There will be times when someone you're networking with doesn't turn out to be someone you want to connect with. Alternatively, you might start to realize that the other person does not appear that interested in talking with you. In either case, excuse yourself politely, thank the person for his or her time, and continue your networking with other members of the conference.”

That’s the easy and probably the proper way to handle the situation. Here are some other tried and true exit strategies beyond the very direct “Excuse me, but I don’t want to talk to you anymore”:

The Positive Comment
“Steve, it was really a pleasure speaking with you about [Topic]. I’m going to take a look at some of the other exhibits here, but if I don’t run into you later, I hope to see you at another event soon.”


The Plan
“Please let me know how that project goes, I’d love to see it and hear how it turns out.” 


“Have you seen anyone from [company name] tonight? I’ve been meaning to chat with them.” 


The Excuse
“I need to use the bathroom, but I'm sure I'll see you around.” 


(Just don’t walk ten feet away and start talking to someone else, your former conversation partner is going to know you lied and dumped them)


“I don't want to take up all your time; it was great meeting you!”


Bow out when others join the conversation.
This is a standard, tried and true method. Once other people join the circle of conversation and things get going between your old partner(s), you slip away.

What Else?

Consider following me on Twitter for more information about the 2015 HIMSS Conference and other Health Information Technology Conferences in North America.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Unofficial #HIMSS15 Meetups & Tweetups


HIMSS has published an official list of meetups held at the HIMSS Spot Coffee Bar. And I'm maintaining a list of Unofficial Meetups and Tweetups being held before, during and after the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago. 


Note: Some of the items on my list look like they should be on the Official HIMSS list but I checked and they are not listed so I am listing them here. Also, a couple of these - like the Personalized Medicine and Predictive Analytics items - may not be meetups in the traditional sense but I'm including them here with the understanding that they will be an interactive, informal meeting.



Name
Date
Location & More Info
4/13/15 - 3:30 - 4:30p
HIMSS Spot Coffee Bar - North Hall - B Lobby - RSVP Requested
4/13/15 - 1:30p
Booth 955 -   Requires Registration
4/14/15 - 10:00-11:00p
HIMSS Spot Coffee Bar - North Hall - B Lobby 
4/14/15 - 6:00-8:00p
Gino's East - 162 E Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611-  Requires Registration 
4/15/15 - 11:00am
Booth 955 - Requires Registration   
4/14/15 – 11:30 – 12:15
HIMSS Room S403A
4/12/15 – 4/15/15 
Various Times & Locations


If you know of any items that should be added to this list please forward them to me using the Submit an Idea, Tip or Pitch link on the top right of this page.

Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter for all the latest on the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago.

Free: News Release Template for #HIMSS15 Vendors


I’ve been seeing and receiving a lot of news releases in the last couple weeks. They all seem to read the same and repeat the same fluffy phrases and boring exec-speak. With all due respect to marketing experts who must know way more than me, do people even read these things anymore? They seem so 80’s. (Frankly I wonder why some of these firms are sending them to me.)


So if you’re thinking of sending out a news release, I’ve put together a template to speed the creation of your news release. All you need to do is supply seven simple data points and you'll have what 98% of the universe of vendors usually provide in their press releases.

[COMPANY NAME]
[PRODUCT OR SERVICE NAME]
[BOOTH #]
[BIG SHOT NAME]
[LOFTY TITLE OF BIG SHOT]
[COMPANY WEB SITE URL]
[MEDIA CONTACT INFO]

Want to stand out from the crowd? Then don’t use this template but provide some real information of value in your news release.

The Template

[City] [Date] /PRNewswire/ [INSERT COMPANY NAME] is excited to announce it will be attending the HIMSS 2015 conference – bringing its [INSERT PRODUCT OR SERVICE NAME] to the exhibit floor for the 2015 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in Chicago from April 12-16, 2015. The firm is proud to be an exhibitor at this annual event that helps health IT professionals find the right solutions for their organizations. [INSERT COMPANY NAME] will be at Booth [INSERT BOOTH #] from April 13-15. 

"We're thrilled to be a part of HIMSS15. The conference brings together an outstanding group of organizations and industry experts to discuss how we can improve healthcare in this country. [INSERT COMPANY NAME] is looking forward to attending and sharing our own experiences and successes in the area of health IT," said [INSERT BIG SHOT NAME HERE], [INSERT LOFTY TITLE OF BIG SHOT HERE].

More than 38,000 healthcare industry professionals are expected to attend HIMSS 2015 to discuss health IT issues and view innovative solutions designed to transform healthcare. Conference education sessions include preconference symposia on clinical and business analytics, HIEs, innovation, mobile health, nursing informatics, physicians' IT and more. More than 300 peer-reviewed sessions, including workshops and roundtables, round out education offerings at HIMSS15.

About [INSERT COMPANY NAME]

[INSERT COMPANY NAME] is a global firm that delivers unique value, relevant big ideas and strategic business capabilities to clients around the world. The firm solves complex business problems for clients in multiple industries through an integrated approach and offers specialty services and any products you could possibly need. If you want it, we got it. 

For more information visit [INSERT COMPANY WEB SITE URL HERE] and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, FourSquare, Tumblr, Google+, Friendster, Ning, Plaxo, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Blogspot, WordPress, Instagram, Quora, Yelp, Scribd, SlideShare, StubleUpon, Reddit, Buffer, Yahoo, Vimeo, Pinterest and Facebook. And oh yeah, MySpace too.

Media Contact:
Media Contact:
[INSERT MEDIA CONTACT INFO HERE]

Monday, March 30, 2015

Some Tips for Making Your #HIMSS15 Tweets Memorable & Retweetable


Here are some ideas and tips about making the information you share on Twitter more easily identified, consumed and shared with others.


Share Well – It’s Going to Be Around Forever


1. Twitter is Forever

It’s ok to call out the value of what you share, add an opinion and/or point out possible contradictions – don’t be shy! Just remember that what you post on Twitter does not go away - even if you delete it.

Tag 'Em Danno!


2. Integrate hash tags into your tweet – if it makes sense

By integrating hash tag(s) into your tweet sentence on a contextualized basis, it may read better and you will also save space; therefore you can include more info.

Ex. “Vendor ABC is offering free ICD-10 upgrades to current EHR licensees” #EHR #ICD10

Could be...

     “Vendor ABC is offering free #ICD10 upgrades to current #EHR licensees”

3. Use hash tag(s) to help categorize your tweet and make it easy to find

Hash tags are also used by certain web services to summarize and index tweets – making your content more likely to be read. But don’t use too many hash tags!

Example: "#Top10 #Digitalhealth #Apps for #healthcare #providers at #HIMSS15”



4. Don’t use punctuation or a special characters in a hash tag

Unless it’s at the end where it’ll be ignored. Using “#ICD-10” results in a hash tag of “#ICD”

And the following are all equivalent to #EHR: #EHR’s #EHR? #EHR!

5. Use Official and/or Unofficial Hashtags

The HIMSS organization has published an Official Hash Tag Guide for the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago. And I have also published an albeit Totally Unofficial List of HIMSS Hashtags. Consider using some of the tags in these guides.

Tidy Up Your Tweet Before You Share It

6. Cover your tracks!

You may want to remove tracking tags and keys from the URL’s you share – especially if any personal information like your email address is embedded in the URL.

7. Leave room for others to RT and share your information

Keep your tweets to about 115-120 characters so it can be RT’d by others without their having to edit your tweet. Be concise. Remove unnecessary words like “the” “a” “is” “are” – and use a “link shortener” if the tool you are using doesn’t automatically dos this for you.

8. Validate links before posting them

At a bare minimum, click on links you intend to share and make sure they lead to something – even if it’s not the content you think it is! There’s nothing worse than a “404 – Page Not Found” error! :)

Point People in the Right Direction

9.  Inform others of the need to login to access content you are sharing

If a link leads to a site that controls access to the content, add “[Login Reqd]” to the Tweet.

10. Identify special digital media formats at the end of the tweet

– Is it video? A huge document? A Podcast?

11.  Point out a specific locations in a large media you are sharing

When sharing a large document, video, or podcast containing a specific piece that you want to call out, add a pointer like (See pg 18-22) or (Starts at 1:35)

Happy Tweeting!

By incorporating some or all of the above tips and approaches into your Twitter shares, you’ll make it easy on your readers and improve the value of the information shared. And make my life curating your tweet much easier! :)

For more info, Follow me on Twitter.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Preparing Your Elevator Pitch & Networking Questions for the HIMSS Conference

Credit: Mark Anderson - www.andertoons.com

So you’re going to the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago! What are your goals for networking at the conference? What do you want to learn from other people? What do you want to be able to get from or give to other attendees? There must be something. Why else would you be going?


Theoretically you could meet somewhere around 40,000 people interested in healthcare information technology. Realistically you’ll probably be quite successful if you have 300-400 relatively brief conversations. You should also use the little time left before the event figuring out what you want to say to people. Here are some suggestions and tips:

Have your Personal Elevator Pitch Ready

Come up with a sentence or two that quickly and accurately explains what you do. It should include what the primary benefit is that you provide and your role at your company. Avoid unnecessary jargon so those new to the industry or not is your particular area of expertise are not confused.

Struggling to come up with your Personal Elevator Pitch? Check out “The "High 5" Elevator Pitch Worksheet.” 

Note: Even if you're not going to the HIMSS Conference this year, having a Personal Elevator Pitch and having some questions ready to improve  your networking skills can help you both professionally and personally.

A Good Listener is a Great Networker

After the introduction, a most uneasy moment can be not knowing what to say next while you and the person you just met stare at each other or the coffee cup in your hand. To avoid this scenario, consider having a list of general questions to use with people you meet. Having this list also helps others interacting with you to better understand how you might be able to help them. It can also make you look less silly, which is a nice bonus.

You should ask meaningful questions and list to understand what the other person is saying. A good listener is a good networker. Focus on that person's answers to your questions and not on how you intend to respond. Don't try to fill in what the other person is saying. Let the person do the talking because by limiting your own talking and encouraging the other person to talk, you’ll make yourself more memorable to the other person. Seems counter-intuitive but it’s true.

Sample Post Introduction Questions

1. Where are you from?
2. How long have you worked at ABC company?
3. Where did you work before joining ABC company?
4. How did you become interested in your area of expertise?
5. What are you hoping to get out of the conference?
6. What sessions are you most looking forward to?
7. What do you think the best sessions have been so far?
8. Are you going to any other conferences this year?
9. I’m trying to improve at XYZ - what did you read to do so?

Make Your Own Luck

Luck is where preparation meets opportunity. The HIMSS Conference will provide all the networking opportunity than you'll ever have in one place in a short period of time. Remember that networking is a wonderful opportunity to get to know people, so make the most of it by coming prepared.

For more information on the 2015 HIMSS Conference, consider following @HITConfGuy on Twitter. 

Sunday, March 22, 2015

List of First 100 Followers of @HITConfGuy Account


If your name is on this list, I'd like to thank you for being one of the first 100 followers of the @HITConfGuy account. And you can take advantage of a special Conference Monitoring Service I am providing for the 2015 HIMSS Conference in Chicago


If you're interested, please review this post and respond accordingly.


Note: There are actually 110 names on this list due to a little confusion on my part as to exact order in which some accounts followed. Plus some unfollowed me and some were duplicates. So I gave the benefit of the doubt. And I'm guessing some (many?) of you may not take advantage of this service.


Some Interesting Factoids on Y'All


Average Number of People Who Follow Y'all = 4567

Average Number of People You Follow = 2380
Average Number of Lists Y'all are On = 152
Average Number of Tweets Y'all Make Per Day = 7.1
Average Age of Your Twitter Account as of 3/20/15 = 1395 days or 3.9 years

So all in all, y'all represent a pretty impressive group of Twitter Luminaries in the Healthcare and Healthcare IT space! I hope I don't disappoint any of you. 


List of First 100 Followers of @HITConfGuy Account



Twitter Account
Followers
Friends
On Lists
Last Tweet as of 3/20/15
Tweets Per Day
Age of Acct in Days as of 3/20/15
2healthguru
13319
3967
833
03/20/15
25.66
2377
3MHISNews
4119
2661
134
03/18/15
8.76
1296
Alexruoff
421
457
27
03/19/15
0.57
1858
andyvassallo
39
150
0
03/18/15
0.02
2116
AvailityAPI
120
233
14
03/19/15
0.94
150
BluePrintHIT
277
343
15
03/09/15
0.28
1443
Brad_Justus
7571
8317
290
03/20/15
21.54
1898
Brian_Eastwood
4716
4248
335
03/19/15
10.66
2110
caitietnolan
183
379
10
03/19/15
0.13
2083
carimclean
1491
454
98
03/19/15
0.72
2329
caseyhealthlaw
89
310
1
03/20/15
1.57
26
CDW_Healthcare
9646
6360
287
03/20/15
2.91
2019
ChelleRovner
217
241
10
03/20/15
1.1
1598
ChilmarkHIT
833
1024
46
03/17/15
0.57
1399
ClinicSpectrum
1038
744
39
03/18/15
0.81
1053
CSlocumb
293
213
23
03/19/15
0.47
2649
CureMD
3366
2669
81
03/20/15
6.21
1744
dadimo13
200
416
11
03/16/15
0.18
2059
DavisJamie77
307
440
26
03/18/15
0.8
819
DC_Assoc
317
872
20
03/18/15
1.33
1151
DehaanStephanie
844
1920
49
03/20/15
5.79
157
dougchase
307
600
14
03/20/15
0.07
2974
DrLindaMD
19944
20625
340
03/19/15
25.93
616
ehealthcareorg
227
1640
2
03/17/15
0.08
1263
ehrandhit
32626
17346
996
03/19/15
8.46
2147
ehrpmrcm
131
771
35
03/20/15
19.04
89
EMRAnswers
10524
5330
505
03/20/15
14.95
2044
erictalbothit
10
120
0
03/19/15
0.29
25
esseeconsulting
501
1260
65
03/19/15
7.02
535
foybj
133
567
15
03/19/15
0.35
2430
GalenHealthcare
3662
2722
63
03/19/15
0.64
2193
GetReal_Health
3947
2161
116
03/19/15
5.81
1119
GLHC_HIE
464
1073
43
03/19/15
4.88
286
greenway
6471
1108
220
03/20/15
2.84
2199
GreythornNA
435
531
53
03/20/15
1.18
1734
H4Omaha
107
575
3
03/18/15
0.29
517
HCITExpert
4624
4944
142
03/18/15
13.49
955
HCSInteractant
1725
1530
63
03/19/15
0.57
2219
HealthBIJeff
96
304
6
03/14/15
0.13
737
HealthcareScene
1436
1927
40
03/18/15
2.77
949
HealthITMKTG
248
259
22
03/17/15
0.24
1207
HealthNautica
8
43
0
03/12/15
0.07
364
HIMSS
59369
974
1757
03/19/15
4.58
2481
HITMarketingPR
829
957
39
03/19/15
0.82
463
HITpol
83628
1982
745
03/20/15
16.04
2012
hootnolan
98
290
13
03/19/15
0.82
152
HX360_
2392
2616
84
03/19/15
4.83
180
icetechnologies
262
943
16
03/20/15
0.36
1783
iMethodsJames
21
88
1
03/20/15
8.6
4
ImpactAdvisors
399
745
21
03/20/15
0.33
1769
infomanager
195
372
33
03/16/15
1.29
2268
Insight_HC
65
60
6
03/18/15
0.27
716
irvinbalagosa
620
996
17
03/15/15
2.9
1957
Itentive
83
92
14
03/19/15
0.16
1959
IVDConnectivity
5
89
0
03/16/15
0.01
367
jackbergstrom
56845
23876
1291
03/19/15
1.86
2091
jamcbride
654
635
26
03/20/15
0.32
2280
janicemccallum
9547
3616
610
03/20/15
7.47
2165
jimmyweeks
2485
867
159
03/20/15
2.6
2298
jmrubin
225
458
20
01/02/15
0.1
2487
Joe_Lavelle
80
534
3
03/17/15
0.49
456
jonmertz
8440
6938
339
03/20/15
9.88
1680
JRJusticeSAI
23
342
3
03/19/15
0.16
190
JustmeJayneRN
1
29
0
02/15/15
0.01
560
KarlaKoertner
33
74
3
03/19/15
3.41
10
KentuckyREC
539
981
20
03/18/15
1.05
820
KonicaMinoltaUS
3100
1141
89
03/19/15
1.53
2073
L_Macnaughtan
69
181
22
03/20/15
5.8
39
LAlupusLady
8229
7993
343
03/20/15
28.15
2095
LeadGenMike
630
1907
70
03/20/15
23.49
142
Legacydnagroup
278
778
24
03/19/15
1.81
406
LHCQF1
2013
2005
55
03/20/15
6.31
784
LizGoodale
648
684
48
03/14/15
1.48
1309
lsaldanamd
6530
5555
420
03/19/15
38.84
2422
MandiBPro
9374
5081
658
03/18/15
31.24
963
marcinzawisza
113
543
32
03/11/15
0.19
792
MedeAnalytics
708
465
57
03/19/15
1.03
2118
MEDITECH
3158
1134
112
03/20/15
1.24
2138
MMaxwellStroud
916
1027
62
03/18/15
1.7
660
moodlemethods
18585
18534
126
03/18/15
4.23
1429
mrudnick
1452
1321
62
03/19/15
1.07
2517
msharmas
1117
2001
46
03/20/15
1.52
2103
mssoftware
182
255
18
03/19/15
0.07
2131
mtreardon
136
478
9
03/13/15
0.08
1281
MyCareNav
15
169
0
03/19/15
0.13
59
NextGen
15607
2961
497
03/19/15
4.41
2221
Nextwaveconnect
616
498
44
03/20/15
3.03
681
nicfletch
2448
2322
169
03/19/15
2.08
2343
nxtstop1
9019
8585
753
03/19/15
214.69
581
OpenQAP
15
112
0
03/18/15
0.01
376
Perficient_HC
8427
4050
377
03/20/15
13.84
1978
PetrosPapapa
170
266
9
03/19/15
0.57
741
ReasObBob
1628
1948
54
03/14/15
2.4
1088
Resultant
2976
3240
127
03/20/15
5.4
2135
RightPatient
1388
1679
78
03/18/15
6.36
1186
roseannarhit
426
1134
55
03/20/15
43.36
40
sarahbennight
443
419
38
03/18/15
1.69
1049
StaceyHolifield
512
854
32
03/19/15
0.62
2139
stacygoebel
513
595
41
03/18/15
1.94
2360
Steph_Sagacious
36
239
5
03/17/15
0.67
19
Steven_Paul
1633
366
97
03/19/15
3.36
2400
SusanCHull
1638
2001
136
03/20/15
4.43
1601
techguy
8401
6826
445
03/19/15
6.39
2872
TheNerdyNurse
16289
14713
579
03/20/15
12.96
2264
ThePatientsSide
1768
2001
108
03/18/15
5.47
1139
tom_finnerty1
51
147
2
03/14/15
0.03
1327
Turbodean
1050
1956
32
03/19/15
0.89
2235
VOXTelehealth
222
768
20
03/18/15
0.7
847
wallace_tim
442
1744
6
03/20/15
0.11
2013
wareFLO
5500
690
435
03/20/15
26.2
2256
4567
2380
152
03/17/15
7.1
1395
3.9