The rapid pace of change in healthcare today doesn’t just necessitate better technologies to keep pace; it also requires better communication. Whether it involves conversations between patients and physicians, handoffs between clinicians of different specialties, interoperable data exchange, or even the ability of care organizations to connect with their IT vendors - clear communication is often what makes the difference between a good outcome, and a poorer one.

What’s next for healthcare technology and nurses? This year at HIMSS19 MEDITECH’s Associate Vice President, Cathy Turner, BSN, MBA, RN BC, spoke with Patient Orator about the evolution of healthcare technology.

In Ontario, healthcare is often siloed—a byproduct of the way the healthcare system is structured. Patients experience frequent gaps in care; they’re asked to explain their health concerns over and over within each different setting, and digital tools aren’t keeping up with how Ontarians live and work in their everyday lives. Sound familiar?

Moving to a new EHR platform can seem like a daunting task, with the clinical and technological changes that it requires.

In these videos, MEDITECH customer executives discuss how their hospitals successfully navigated the journey to Expanse, and the difference it’s made in how they practice medicine.

In a constantly connected world, consumers are looking for ways to break down barriers between themselves and their providers. Recently, I sat down with Dr. William Dailey, CMIO at Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare (Clinton, MO), to hear about how organizations and individuals can use social media to connect with the hospital community, inside and outside of the facility’s walls.

MEDITECH’s President and CEO Howard Messing recently sat down with John Lynn, founder of Healthcare IT Today, for an extended two-part interview about the company, as we celebrate our 50th year in business.

Unsafe medication practices and medication errors are a leading cause of harm around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the cost associated with medication errors is around $42 billion USD annually. Likewise, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) has documented over $140 million Canadian dollars in direct and indirect healthcare expenditures due to preventable medication hospitalizations, with lost productivity (including time off work) adding an additional $12 million in costs.

I flew out of Logan Airport in Boston at 5:30 a.m. last Monday, and was eager to head to sunny Orlando as a first time HIMSS attendee. The next three days were a whirlwind of innovation, shared ideas, and excitement about the future of health IT.

Let me tell you why I’m really excited to be attending my first HIMSS.

First and foremost is the evolution of healthcare IT. The strides we’ve made in the past few years have been phenomenal. Leading technology providers and app developers are now embracing healthcare IT and connecting new innovative technologies to leading EHR platforms, making HIMSS a great opportunity to see what the future holds.

Reaching 50 years is an outstanding achievement, and all of us at MEDITECH couldn’t be prouder. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve put together a video to give you a sense of who we are — a diverse group of innovators who share a personal investment in caring for others.