Access the event YouTube video playlist

Over 300 guests from more than 20 client organizations at the 2018 Cerner Middle East Collaboration Forum (#CernerMECF18). The three-day forum welcomed guests on May 6 with six pre-event workshops.

Attendance was 12% more than last year’s event and drew industry allies (non-client / non-prospect), new clients, exhibitors and prospects to the interactive forum.

#CernerMECF18 was packed with four fun activities – an illusionist, badge making, twinsie photo booth and a caricaturist.

A colorful interactive arrangement let the audience enjoy and take part in the forum at all times

The experience started from the moment delegates checked in at a registration desk equipped with iPads and printers for onsite badge printing, A gift bag was handed out to each checked-in guest during registration

The ballroom setup highlighted the new Cerner theme using colorful, eye-catching graffiti: Smarter Care, Better Outcomes, Healthier You.

Social media posts using #CernerMECF18, #CernerME and @CernerME were displayed on one of the ballroom screens during the forum along with social content from the most active users. This created an interactive, social environment. The three most active Twitter users throughout the event were recognized on the last day.

Each delegate’s seat in the main ballroom and breakout rooms was equipped with an iPad that provided all information pertaining to the event and direct interaction with the speakers throughout the session via real time polls/votes to steer the presentations into the direction of the audience’s interest.

“I have never seen anything like it! It’s truly amazing,” said one of the guest speakers.

Exploring the solutions gallery and exhibition floor

The exhibition floor and Cerner’s Solution Gallery opened during the networking lunch and remained opened throughout the day. The galllery featured six Cerner workstations and 15 Cerner partners who filled the ballroom foyer with their offerings, innovations and services. Attendees experienced hands-on presentations and engaged with the Cerner presentation team to answer their queries about current and future challenges.

The Cerner gallery hosted Cerner solutions and services including healthcare advisory practice, population health, women’s health, Clinically Driven Revenue Cycle^TM, physician workflow and nursing workflow.

Event highlights – May 6

The event kicked off with three preconference workshops in the morning and three in the afternoon. Topics included reporting, revenue cycle, model experience, operational evolution, CLEAR change model and communication, and introduction to informatics.

Event highlights – May 7

We started the day with an LED dance show to get the audience excited and energized. The show was followed by an interesting session called 'Hey, Cerner! A healthier me please’ focusing on the futuristic view of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as consumer centricity and the seamless integration into one’s life. The session was presented by Michael Schelper, GM UAE & Kuwait, Cerner Middle East (the consumer) and Colin Fincham, CMO, Cerner Middle East (the physician). It was one of the main highlights of the event envisioning the rising importance of AI, together with the human factor, complementing the future of consumer healthcare.

Setting the scene for the event’s theme - smarter care, better outcomes and healthier you - Michael Schelper welcomed the audience by presenting a glimpse of what the future holds for us and what do we need today to be ready for tomorrow. 

Paul Weaver, VP, User Experience and Human Factors, Cerner Corporation, took the stage with an amazing session about how emotional design fits in the health IT industry.

Paul focused on how emotional design has become a buzzword hitting at every level of the design industry and across several more – including health care. The audience were fascinated with the impact that can be made to elevate the consumer and caregiver experiences by digging deep and thinking beyond the status quo. The attendees interacted with Paul’s presentation by entering a one-word answer to the three different questions presented by Paul during his session. The poll results were displayed on the stage screen.

Following Paul’s session, three Tomorrow, Talks were presented by thought leaders in the healthcare space showcasing a few of the high interest topics and the next big leap in the industry, such as AI in healthcare, hospitals of the future and mobile healthcare technology.

The afternoon sessions focused on the Cerner Middle East Achievement & Innovation Awards finalists presenting their submissions. There was a total of 15 talks, three for each of the following award category – Clinical Decision Support, Consumer Experience, User Experience, Support Services and Population Health. The audience voted after each session on the event iPads to select their preferred winner.

The day concluded with a networking reception for attendees.

Event highlights – May 8

The day began with a thought leadership keynote entitled “Money, Money, Money." The presentation addressed how insurance regulators and investors must prepare for disruptive change within the healthcare industry.

Two breakout streams followed with three sessions each. Main topics included new HIMSS 2018 requirements, population health, revenue cycle (technology), revenue cycle (people and processes), Cerner technology, updates on IP and updates on 2018

After lunch and networking, we were amazed by Harry Iles- Mann, patient/consumer advocate and speaker, presenting his personal health journey. Harry shared insights on how principles of effective patient co-design create the foundation for a truly patient centric system that delivers positive patient outcomes by giving a personal experience of interacting with numerous facets of the healthcare system over the past 19 years, in an effort to manage his chronic health issues.

Harry talked about the importance of co-design, accessible information, connected records/clinicians and relationships with the care team. It was an inspirational message to all of us.

Following the patient story, the Cerner Middle East GMs presented the company’s future vision in a fun role play scenario intriguing delegates with what the future holds in store, especially with the consumer being the center of the health care system.

The third day concluded with the awards ceremony. It was hosted by our GMs who gave out the trophies to their client finalists and winners. Click here to read the awards press release.