HIMSS and Health 2.0: The best way to learn from the best

Our member Grete Kikas (Diagnostic Match) gave a demo at HIMSS and Health 2.0 and shares her experience below. What key messages did she take away from the event?

Grete took part in the notorious Health 2.0 discussion on  ‘unmentionables’ challenging the status quo in health care and highlighting rarely discussed but nevertheless critical factors and circumstances impacting our everyday health and wellness. This year’s panel focused on depression, loneliness and sexual health, discussing how these taboos can prevent us from being our healthiest selves, and showcased Health 2.0 solutions providing a safe space to tackle challenges that health systems usually neglect.

Grete’s Diagnostic Match demo was one of the solutions presented. “The two-hour session ‘Unmentionables: Depression, Loneliness and Sexual Health’ was opened by experts and followed by selected presentations from at least one start-up,” she explained. “The domain of sexual health focused on HIV this year, so this was my chance to present Diagnostic Match.”

Grete adds that her presentation was a live demo. “That meant I was able to demonstrate in real time how doctors can use our algorithms, and I explained HIV testing methodology based on indicator diseases and its importance” she said

Receiving positive feedback from the panel of experts, Grete’s demo created fertile ground for discussion. “We talked as a panel, and with the audience, about the importance of indicator diseases and how we define them,” she said. “We also discussed design, for example – what’s more important, functionality or appearance?”

Grete says that an important message she gained from feedback was that the HIV indicator-based method has also been piloted in the UK by the NHS and that mass testing and its effectiveness are currently being piloted in Portugal. “Both of these ideas will provide us with a lot of food for thought in setting future goals,” she noted.

Although unable to be in the audience for other presentations on the day, Grete attended demos in the Expo area. “It’s a great way of learning from the best people in the industry, like Epic or Philips,” she remarked. “At the same time, it was really nice to listen to demos by small start-ups and pick up aspects again that I could use myself.”

HIMSS and Health 2.0 was held in Helsinki from 11-13 June.