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| The World of Health IT Conference and Exhibition Theo Bosma, M.B.A., M.I.S., M.Ed., vice president of global sales for Health Language, Inc. (HLI), the world's supplier of language engine (LE) technology for medical vocabulary, presented "How to Enable Interoperability through Clinical Terminology" at The World of Health IT Conference & Exhibition at the Geneva Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland. His thought-provoking presentation focused on interoperability as the critical component to a successful electronic health records (EHR) implementation. Bosma explained how standardized clinical terminology is the key component to ensure interoperability in an EHR, reducing the variability in the way data is captured, encoded and used in patient care and medical research. He identified barriers that prevent the widespread adoption of this critical technology that enables systems interoperability and the sharing of data to facilitate effective communication within and across healthcare settings. An advocate of interoperable information systems, he emphasized the need for national implementation of a standardized vocabulary to improve the quality of patient care. According to Bosma, it is critical to create an environment in which interested parties can work together to accommodate multiple sets of standards to ensure interoperability across the healthcare sector. Until this happens, there will be disparate systems that are unable to share information with each other as needed, hindering prompt and accurate detection of public health threats, accurate clinical decision making, research and treatment development as well as management and policy decision making, such as cost analysis and reimbursement. Bosma has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and technology-related fields, including sales and business development, business consulting and large IT project management. Prior to joining Health Language, Bosma was a global practice director for Cerner Corporation and held various leadership positions with Accenture Worldwide, managing large SAP implementations in the United States and Argentina. The World of Health IT Conference and Exhibition is a first-of-its-kind event, attracting health IT leaders and experts from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The European Commission Information Society and Media, Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are among the event's many high-profile sponsors. The event is designed for and by the healthcare IT community in the EMEA region, comprising technology users, buyers, vendors, providers and healthcare regulators, to bridge the gaps between public policy and the realities of day-to-day implementation. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Exhibition News :: home page |