LAS VEGAS - While healthcare industry veterans were speaking on lessons learned at HIMSS16, health IT's up-and-comers were participating in a meeting of the minds at the first HIMSS-hosted event dedicated to Millennials.
Overheard at the Future Leaders of Health IT Reception, held March 2 at the Venetian's Label Lounge, was a range of conversations touching on everything from favorite new technologies to strategies for business initiatives.
[Also: See photos from Day 3 of HIMSS16]
But the overall theme was a changing landscape for healthcare and and technology alike. Millennials see great potential in the latest tech, but say the key to incorporating new IT is is culture change.
"My hope is that healthcare should become like the hospitality industry, like a spa or airline," said Neel Mehta, co-founder of EpiFinder, a tool that helps providers effectively diagnose epilepsy syndromes at point-of-care. For instance, he said, airlines have a black box that records all activity on flight; healthcare lacks a similar device.
There's value in transactional data, following the patient from the time they check in until they leave, Mehta said. Right now, "healthcare is reactive, rather than proactive."
The HX360 Executive Leadership Forum was another point of interest for attendees, who appreciated the smaller scale and more "digestible" format. For these emerging healthcare leaders, the new innovations and crucial care delivery models were "inspiring."
One attendee noted the health IT landscape was much different than it was 30 years ago: It's much more diverse. But despite these changes, some Millennials are still waiting for the industry to catch up.
Kunjan Divatia, director of revenue cycle and access at Yale New Haven Health System, said his organization is making great strides in terms of innovation, but still sees room for progress on a nationwide scale. He said some states – California, for instance – are doing better than others in setting the stage for getting newer ideas into the mix.
But he said he looks forward to the day when government and private-sector health organizations are able to include more healthcare leaders from his generation into regulation and leadership committees.
Twitter: @JessiefDavis
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.