HIMSS ‘25 is booming. Here’s the down-low from three sessions I attended: 1) Diverse Paths to an Omnichannel Patient Experience, 2) Intelligent Patient Engagement in ‘25, and 3) Unlocking Digital Transformation for Equity & Value Based Care.
Now let’s ditch the jargon and get real.
Session 1: Stop Treating Everyone the Same! (Duh.)
- Real Talk: Your grandma isn’t going to use a chatbot, and your Gen Z cousin probably won’t pick up a phone. We have to get smart about all the ways people want to connect.
- What to DO:
- Seriously, map out your patient personas. Who are you serving? What do THEY want?
- Don’t just throw tech at the problem. Make sure it actually makes things easier for patients.
- Fix your darn call center. It’s still a huge deal. Those teams need better tools to make a difference for patients.
- As one speaker noted, “Simplicity & consistency matter” and “It’s not about IT.” So make sure your digital strategies, call centers and—most importantly—provider data management—is aligned to the true north of patient needs.
Session 2: AI is Coming, But Don’t Freak Out (Yet).
- The Vibe: People are expecting healthcare to be as slick as their Amazon Prime experience. No pressure, right?
- What to DO:
- Start thinking about how AI can free up your staff to actually care for people.
- Get your data act together. Payer data, provider data, interoperability—it’s all gotta connect. Is your data strategy up to snuff?
- One CEO joked that they are getting “sex ed from middle schoolers” from AI vendors. Get someone on your team that knows this stuff.
- Keep an eye on Rich Communication Services (RCS). It might just kill patient portals.
Session 3: Digital Equity is Not Optional.
- The Grind: People will bail if they can’t get care when they need it. And virtual options? Huge.
- What to DO:
- Recognize that digital access is now a healthcare access issue.
- Don’t forget about underserved communities. They need digital tools too and they CAN drive impact for these hard to reach groups.
- Basically, be ready to adapt, fast.
Bottom Line:
- Patients are in charge. Listen to them.
- AI is a tool, not a magic wand. Use it wisely.
- Data management is the not-so-secret sauce. How are you pulling payer and provider data together?
- Digital equity is a must-have, not a nice-to-have.
- Be flexible. Healthcare is changing, like, yesterday.
Basically, we all must stop with the buzzwords and start doing stuff that actually helps people get the access they need to the care they deserve.