Wow #HealthDataPalooza That Was Awesome!

Posted on June 09, 2015 by Amos Adler We’ve just got back from the awesomeness that was Health Datapalooza 2015! Where to start? #HDP was 3 days of some of the most enthusiastic and exciting health data conversations we’ve had in years. With D.C.’s Marriott Wardman Park packed with digital health nerds, it was almost non-stop presentations, demonstrations and general health data game-on. With way too much awesome to fit into a blog post, I’ll focus the highlights. One was the welcome speech by Esther Dyson, angel investor and Founder of the health non-profit HICCup. Her “Way to Wellsville” challenge, encourages community re-imaging of healthcare using patient data. The importance of health data in finding the right solution and allowing unprecedented collaboration was a constant theme of #HDP. Another great speech was by patient advocate Kym Martin. Kym, a personal friend, shared her experience of being diagnosed with cancer three times in the past 30 years. Her patient data was vital in getting the fastest and most effective treatment. It was emotional and inspiring to hear what an impact digital health advancement has had on her life.   #HDP was also a lot of fun, such as participating in the FunRun! I also discovered how great a motivation sightseeing and some fun people can be for exercising. #HDP also had app demos from over 17 start-ups. It was amazing seeing so much mHealth innovation on display. We caught up with a lot of old friends and made some new inspiring ones like Sunnie Southern.   If I learned anything from #HDP, it’s that the digital health world is moving, from healthgeek, to policy to commercialization and adoption. There were so many conversations and so much enthusiasm. And the enthusiasm is not like other conferences we’ve been at, it continues long after #HDP was over. These are passionate, action oriented people. I remember when #HDP had only 300 people, this year there was 2,400. It’s grown from an intellectual symposium into a full blown movement! The data’s not just flowing freer, but it’s being utilized. #HDP is rejuvenating, it refreshes and inspires. It’s not soaked in booze and shwag toting sales people (although we ourselves were hocking cupcakes). It’s people talking, planning, disagreeing, pushing back and having a dialogue about the use of data in health and digital health. Healthdatageeks are now more plentiful than ever. There is more data than ever. There are more tools than ever. There’s a looooooong way to go and patient-centricity is still nowhere where it needs to be, but if #HDP showed me anything it’s that the digital health revolution is well under way.   AMOS ADLER M.Sc. FOUNDER & PRESIDENT Amos brings speech, mobile and social technologies together to create mobile (mHealth) and telehealth patient adherence programs. Since 2008, Amos has led the design and deployment of dozens of digital patient adherence and behavior change programs globally while advocating for evidence-based approaches to technology-based behavior change. With a background in user oriented design methodologies, user-requirements elicitation, finance and enterprise scale technology deployment, Amos focuses on solutions solving real-world business requirements with patient centered designs while understanding the challenges of change management in clinical settings. Prior to founding MEMOTEXT, Amos held multiple technology and finance related positions within the Bell Canada Holdings family of companies as well as a background in social and private real estate development. Amos holds a M.Sc. in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from The London School of Economics in London England, graduating with distinction was highlighted by his work within the launch of the world’s first independent exchange for international wholesale telecom capacity. Amos speaks regularly at events such as: mHealth, Stanford Mobile Health, Health Datapalooza, Genentech FutureMed2.0 and has guest lectured at the Univ. of Toronto.