Have you heard of the #HIMSS16 MixTape? Well, Colin Hung is the man who put that together.

He also founded and moderates the Healthcare Leadership (#hlcdr) and serves as a healthcare marketing executive at Stericycle Communications Solutions in Toronto. And at HIMSS16 he’ll be among the Social Media Ambassadors credentialed to cover the conference via multiple channels.

See all of our HIMSS16 previews

Hung answered our questions leading up to HIMSS16.

Q: What’s your top health IT prediction for 2016?

A: There will still be more talk about interoperability in 2016 than action. On a more optimistic side, I think that the conversation will shift from compliance to innovation in 2016. 

Q: What are you most looking forward to learning about at HIMSS16.

A: I'm really excited about the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence for healthcare. I think IBM Watson and other related technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered. I'm definitely hoping to learn more about the practical applications for that Big Data + AI combination. I'm also looking forward to seeing what's next for the EHR vendors. Now that the meaningful use program is in its twilight, I'm really curious to see if one of the players decides it's time to "break-the-mold" and take their system in a completely new direction. I certainly hope someone will seize this opportunity once the meaningful use shackles come off. 

Q: What inspired you to apply for the SMA program?

A: Since the program started, I've made it a point to follow the SMAs during HIMSS and I have always found their tweets, posts and comments to be extremely valuable. At a conference the size of HIMSS there is a lot of noise. I find that the SMAs help cut through the babble and they somehow find a way to highlight undercurrents that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. It's exciting to be part of the SMA team doing that at #HIMSS16.

Q: What in your mind are the untold benefits of social media in healthcare today?

A: I think one of the most untapped uses of social media in healthcare is crowdsourcing feedback. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are amazing platforms to test ideas. There isn't another place where you can go and tap into a community of people who are passionate about improving healthcare for feedback. I'm constantly pinging friends I've met online for their opinion on ideas that I have, to clarify my understanding of a particular topic or to ask for reference materials. If I were involved in product development I'd tap into social media to solicit feedback on UX/UI designs and vet approaches to developing products. That to me is the one of the greatest uses of social media that very few are realizing. 

Q: What's something that even your devout followers likely don't know about you?

A: Oh this is a tough one. I think most people know about my love of all things SciFi and how I first met John Lynn (@techguy) while tweeting/texting using a phone in each hand at HIMSS12. But what people probably don't know is that I love sushi. Can't get enough of it. 

Twitter: @SullyHIT

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.