A 360-degree comparison with other European countries is set to take place, to understand what the state of digital healthcare is in and what the future may hold across the continent. At the virtual HIMSS21 & Health 2.0 European Health Conference, which will take place on 7-9 June this year, major representatives from the world of IT, political decision makers and public and private health will attend to exchange best practice and knowledge. Learnings from Italy will benefit from increased visibility in the 'Good morning from Italy' session coordinated by the HIMSS Italian Community, on 8 June 2021.

The risks of the digital revolution: focus on cybersecurity

The prospect of a 'digital revolution' in health requires an increased focus on the risks associated with data processing. In the face of escalating risks, awareness of the vulnerability of data security is clearly also on the rise.

The focus of the 'Good morning from Italy' session will be cybersecurity for health providers and patients, which will convene industry, academic and public health experts to share their views on the best ways to progress and learn lessons. The speakers will include:

Sher Baig, senior director global cyber ​​product commercialisation, GE Healthcare

Maurizio Rizzetto, director, Italian Association of Clinical Engineers, Italy

Roberto Poeta, CIO, Poliambulanza Foundation, Italy

Sergio Fumagalli, scientific committee member, Clusit, Italy

Paolo Locatelli, scientific officer of the Digital Innovation in Healthcare Observatory, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Marco Foracchia, CIO, Reggio Emilia Local Health Authority, Italy

Marco Pantera, head of eHealth governance and shared service for Regional Health Systems Organisations, ARIA Regione Lombardia, Italy

Elena Sini, HIMSS, board member, CIO, GVM Care & Research, Italy

The electronic health file: a position paper from the HIMSS Italian community

The HIMSS21 Europe health conference will also be an opportunity to discuss initiatives driven by the HIMSS Italian Community including the latest Position Paper on the Electronic Health Record, and actionable insights to continue the improvement of the electronic health record (ESF) and its adoption throughout Italy.

The digitisation of the National Health Service is one of the pillars of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as the Italian government looks optimistically to a world beyond COVID-19. Furthermore, investments of approximately one billion euros are planned for telemedicine services, while there is also significant funding expected to be allocated to the completion of the ESF (€1.38bn). 

"The COVID-19 pandemic has given a significant impetus in the adoption of new treatment paths and digital technologies in the field of health services based on telemedicine, electronic medical records, artificial intelligence platforms, point-of-care diagnostics and on platforms for patient empowerment, including citizens' health education," explain Elena Sini, group CIO GVM Care & Research and Angela Velkova, director communities & strategic relations, HIMSS EMEA ,in a joint statement.

Sini, a member of the HIMSS board, concludes: “There is also a strengthening of analytical tools to support health planning, which provides tools to collect data and information useful for the prevention and planning of timely healthcare, including the anticipation of new epidemiological scenarios. The enhancement of the health information system of the provider that will support the regions and the Ministry of Health in the exercise of their competences will make the Electronic Health Record (ESF) more effective and complete."