Social media at #HIMSS12

Social media is blowing up in healthcare IT, and it’s here to stay.

More thought leaders are emerging online, making use of multiple hashtags (#HITsm, #healthIT, #HCSM, etc.) on Twitter and keeping several great, informative blogs. The community is active, and many organizations who’d never thought of using social media are earning their Twitter wings. So it comes as no surprise that this year’s HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas will feature an official HIMSS Social Media Center.

As we’re currently entrenched in our own preparations for HIMSS, and also relatively new to the world of social media, we’re looking forward to taking advantage of the resources at the booth. When it comes to keeping up with this stuff, every bit of help is welcome. After all, things move fast in the social media world.

At the Social Media Center, attendees can connect with bloggers and other social media specialists, as well as keep up on the latest live Twitter buzz about the conference on big screens.

It’s nice to know that your thoughts will have that much more exposure and impact during HIMSS. Even event-goers who don’t normally follow Twitter will see what you have to say when it’s on a giant screen in the middle of the floor. Here’s how to make yourself heard.

Join the conversation. Let others know where you’ll be, what you’ll be offering and how you can help them. Running a promotion or giveaway? Promote it. New product launch? Tell it to the whole (humongous) room. We will be. It will make the whole event more worthwhile. No one comes to HIMSS to sit idly by, hiding in a corner. If you’ve got it, digitally flaunt it.

Attendees will also be able to hear directly from some major players in three “Meet the Bloggers” Social Media Center Sessions. Topics include:

• Clinician engagement in social media
• Developments in mobile health
• Maintaining a successful health IT blog

No matter what you or your organization does, whether it’s EMR and practice management software, medical imaging devices, or content management solutions (like us), these talks will definitely prove valuable. There will also be several “#HIMSS12 Meetups” where attendees can discuss various topics in the health IT world.

It’s a good thing HIMSS maintains such a large and active social media presence. It creates excitement and a more personal feel that can serve to connect people and organizations, year-round. We’re excited to meet with several folks who, for most of the year, we only read about online. After some time spent following the #himss12 hashtag on Twitter, we feel we’re a little more prepared for the immensity that awaits us within the Venetian Sands Expo Center.

And if you have no idea what a hashtag is, don’t worry, there’s a HIMSS booth for that.