We were fortunate to spend time at the recent HIMSS Europe conference where we expected to learn about current initiatives towards greater levels of HIMSS maturity. We were not disappointed, but there was a tinge of frustration as the pennies dropped that the UK is not directly involved in mainland initiatives such as the European Health Data Space (EDHS); We do hope some level of integration is facilitated within the emerging NHS Single Care Record.
Putting such observations to one side, we were truly taken by surprise by the maturity of the AI conversations on offer. Buzz words, far-flung sales promises and previously presented imaging use cases were certainly not the order of the week. Striking presentations gave examples of significant time saving that is being realised right now, the most memorable being a risk stratification process that is proven to reduce cohort sizes drastically with no detriment to outcomes.
Across the whole 3 day agenda a range of Artificial Intelligence benefits were explored:
- Successfully overcoming regulatory and clinical challenges, focusing on improving care delivery and operational efficiency.
- Integration between care levels through digital and automated patient journeys
- Integrating evidence based clinical pathways and AI models to leverage and strengthen structured clinical guidelines and advanced data analytics
- How search and analytics accelerates clinical decision-making by providing fast, evidence-based answers at the point of care
- Proactive, more efficient identification of women at risk of endometriosis, enabling earlier intervention and better outcomes
- Deploying generative AI into imaging workflows to build an environment that accelerates the diagnostic procedures with suspected rare diseases
- Reducing nursing administrative through less onerous workflows, enhancing patient care and protecting the human touch
- Governance strategies to assure equitable and ethical use of health data
- Tools that convert complex data into actionable insights were showcased, helping identify care gaps, optimise resources, and improve patient experiences
- Framework to tackle the lack of cybersecurity when connecting medical devices and wearables.
- How EHDS is shaping AI development, emphasising the importance of transparency, clinician trust when interoperability is achieved and making data governance an integral part of any AI policy
To achieve such tangible outcomes, we are seeing organisations circling back to the foundations of success, data quality and data longevity. This is where the HIMSS benchmarking is a forward-looking preparation opportunity rather than the traditional retrospective acknowledgment of capability, i.e. HIMSS describe them as structured roadmaps for digital transformation and better patient outcomes.
Let’s look at the opportunities presented when mapping a journey through a complementary blend of HIMSS frameworks.
From the bottom looking up, AI readiness journey begins with INFRAM (Infrastructure Adoption Model) assurance of the technical foundations (networks, security, compute power) for robust support of infrastructure hungry AI applications. Your organisation must articulate its plans to host upon such infrastructure, thus the most informative model upon an AI strategic roadmap is the AMAM (Analytics Maturity Assessment Model).
As your organisation reaches the higher AMAM stages it progresses from basic data governance to advanced AI capabilities. Such capabilities include Predictive & Prescriptive Analytics for user cases such as real-time decision support, population health monitoring, and strategic planning, Natural Language Processing (NLP) to enhance clinical documentation and decision-making, governance for responsible AI use, including privacy, ethics, and data quality and culminating in improved clinical, operational, and financial outcomes, plus health equity.
The EPR implementation delivers a core data capture and business management capability around which other clinical solutions evolve. EMRAM Stages 6 and 7 focus on achieving a fully paperless environment, leveraging advanced data analytics to support complete digital transformation. These stages build upon AMAM principles, incorporating AI powered advanced analytics into the EPR to deliver near real time clinical decision support, offering clinicians timely alerts, diagnostics and treatment recommendations..
For a truly holistic AI approach, AI driven community health data driven insights offer the opportunity to improve care coordination in non-acute settings via the C-COMM (Community Care Outcomes Maturity Model), the Continuity of Care (CCMM) model embraces AI for enhanced care coordination through predictive modelling and patient risk stratification.
Clearly, HIMSS as a library of assessments, presents planning opportunities for the robust implementation of the range of AI components that assure a robust ecosystem within and beyond the organisation boundary. A meaningful roadmap is well informed when referenced into the relevant HIMSS models at the right touchpoints, i.e.
Model-Based Progression – structured stages to track AI and digital maturity
Foundational Infrastructure – Essential strong technical foundations
Data-Centric Approach – The core enablers of data quality, governance, and availability
Advanced Analytics Integration – Predictive, prescriptive analytics and NLP drive decision support
Outcome-Oriented Goals – Focus on clinical, operational, and societal health improvements
Holistic Ecosystem – View Emphasis on integration across care settings and systems
Apira supports health and care organisations in navigating the complexities of the HIMSS landscape to advance digital maturity and maximise the value of digital investments.
As a certified HIMSS Digital Health Technology (DHT) Partner, Apira is authorised to deliver a wide range of HIMSS assessments, including EMRAM (Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model) and AMAM (Analytics Maturity Adoption Model). Where appropriate, we integrate these with other relevant frameworks to provide a tailored, strategic view of digital capability.
With over 25 years of experience supporting NHS Trusts, ICSs, and care providers across the UK in procuring, implementing, and realising the benefits of digital, data, and technology solutions, Apira brings practical expertise and deep sector insight. Our team has conducted HIMSS assessments across multiple care settings, making us a trusted partner for both individual providers and system-wide programmes.
For more information or to discuss how Apira can support your HIMSS assessment, please contact: Kiran Dave, HIMSS Assessment Lead kiran.dave@apira.co.uk
