Why I attend the Canadian eHealth Conference

As winter ever so slowly releases its icy grip, my thoughts turn not only to spring and warmer weather but also to the approaching e-Health Conference. Since attending my first e-Health Conference in 2004, this event has become a tradition that I eagerly await with nearly the same anticipation I feel for major holidays. What is it about this Conference that makes it such a “must attend” event for me?

Check out the rest of the article on the eHealth conference blog … click here

Mike

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eHealth Lonely Hearts Club Band – eHealth Adoption Blues

Sung to the tune of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”

I see that Blueprint comin’,
rollin’ ‘round the bend,
And I ain’t changed my practice
since I don’t know when
I’m stuck with paper records,
and time keeps draggin’ on.
But the Blueprint keeps a-rollin’,
on out to everyone.

When I was just a baby, my momma told me,
“Son, Always be a smart boy, don’t trust those
guys named “RON”  But then Infoway gave a
briefing, I really saw the light
This architecture’s brilliant
and Ron was oh, so right!

I bet there’s rich folk buyin’ … a fancy EHR.
They’re prob’ly goin mobile, and thinkn’ PHR,
We’ve got to keep it movin’, I know it has to be,
So when I’m old and needy,
eHealth will take care of me.

So free me from my bias,
and let eHealth save the day
And let’s all join the movement,
there is no better way
A fully coded record, that’s where I want to be
And let’s thank Ron for helping,
take my blues away from me!!

eHealth Lonely Hearts Club Band – Theme Song

Sung to the tune of the Beatle’s “Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

We’re the eHealth Lonely Hearts Club Band
We care about our health care state
Our journey takes us clear across the land
To find the tools to make it great

We’re the eHealth leaders
Just ask the Twitter tweeters
More than geeks and keeners
Yeah….

We’re the eHealth Lonely Hearts Club Band
We’re trying to build the E-H-R…
So join us on our quest, we need a hand
To get adoption near and far
Come and join our “health” club
Not to get a back rub
Join the eHealth Lonely Hearts … Club … Band

eHealth Lonely Hearts Club Band Rocks eHealth 2011

For as long as I have been attending the annual Canadian eHealth conference (known to many “old timers” as the COACH conference), the Blues Night has been the place where people at all levels let their hair down (those who still have hair) and have a good time.  Heck, I still remember dancing with Linda Miller in Quebec City.  Where else can do you get the chance to boogey with an Assistant Deputy Minister?

This year, the blue’s night organizers had a special treat in store.  In addition to the professional musicians, the opening act was a group of well known eHealth leaders with varying levels of music ability.   The “eHealth Lonely Hearts Club Band” served up a short set of familiar songs (at least for me, but then again, my hair has turned grey).  While the melodies might have been familiar, the lyrics to several songs were modified to have special relevance to audience.  I will post the lyrics as separate blog posts.

If you look at pictures of the audience, you can see me, beer in hand, singing along with the band.   I thoroughly enjoyed the band’s performance and
hope that we can get the band together again next year.   If we do,  I will be there again, in the front row, singing my heart out.

Mike

 

eHealth 2011 – Take Part in the Conversation

Next week the annual Canadian eHealth conference (hosted this year by COACH, CIHI and Canada Health Infoway) will take place in Toronto.   While I expect there to be a record turnout for this event, many of you will be unable to attend for a variety of reasons.   No worries, a number of social media advocates like me will be attending.  We will tweet from the various sessions and write blog posts offering our thoughts and observations.

If you’d like to follow events at eHealth 2011, I encourage you to follow twitter hashtag #eHealth2011.  Conversations to date using this hashtag have been sporadic but I am hoping that you can help change this situation.   Please join in the conversation, whether you are attending the conference or are just interested interested in what is being discussed at the conference.

Mike

eHealth 2009

It has been a little while since Mark and I last posted.  One of the challenges of having a “day job” when you publish a blog is balancing the various demands on your time with making time for regular blog posts.  One of the activities keeping us both busy at the moment  is getting ready for the annual eHealth conference hosted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and COACH, Canada’s health informatics association.  Both Mark and I will be attending and we anticipate that there will be several noteworthy announcements at the conference on which we can offer comments and background information. 

Will you be attending the eHealth conference?  If so, please take a few minutes to post your observations and join us in our analysis of annoucements and presentations at the confernece.  I’m very interested to see how Telus will promote their recent Healthvault announcement and whether vendors will unveil their plans for Healthvault-enabled applications.  Personal eHealth is getting considerable attention in various jurisdictions across the country and I hope to learn more about personal eHealth will move into the mainstream of Canadian eHealth.

I am also looking forward to the “Great Debate”, an perennial favourite at the eHealth conference.  Has anybody heard what topic will be debated this year?

Mark, how about you?  What do you think will be the big news at eHealth?  Are there any sessions that you plan to attend?