HIMAA 2007 National Conference: Healthy Communities, Quality Healthcare - Keep Investing with Information. Auckland, New Zealand 8-10 October 2007.

The Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) held its 26th National Conference at the Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. The hospital venue provided an opportunity to tour the newly redeveloped hospital site, which, since October 2003, has been the new home of the combined services of Auckland, Green Lane and the National Women’s Hospital with a link to Starship Children’s Health. The theme of the conference, ‘Healthy Communities, Quality Health Care – Keep Investing with Information’, enabled speakers from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific to present current initiatives and share information about how their relevant projects were influencing and changing practices. Some of the conference sponsors also took part in the conference program, and there were numerous presentations on their products and the work in which they are involved. Key areas addressed during the conference related to data or electronic health records and systems, both of which are essential to high quality healthcare and are influential in the evolution of electronic health initiatives. The scope and content of the presentations confirms that Health Information Managers (HIMs) are involved in key projects and provide a valuable resource where organisations and businesses are monitoring, reporting and making decisions in the health information arena. Throughout the presentations it was evident that HIMs play a vital role in electronic health system development and implementation, they assist in data definition development, and collect and submit data for purposes associated in a broad sense with coding, clinical indicators and cancer notifications. There were several guest speakers throughout the conference who provided updates in their area of expertise. Guest speaker Cheryle Randall also conducted an optional leadership session focusing on human behaviours and perceptions. On both occasions Cheryle spoke about life experiences and how human behaviour influences our response to situations and the choices we make. Cheryle was an inspirational and engaging speaker. The energy and enthusiasm she expressed was infectious, and those who attended walked away with a sense of appreciation for themselves and those around them. Professor Phyllis Watson, a pioneer of the HIM profession, was the guest speaker at the conference dinner. Phyllis gave a chronological account of HIMAA’s history including past Presidents, the dispersion of HIMs throughout Australia, the evolution of tertiary courses, the involvement of the profession at IFHRO congresses and the HIMAA Conferences over the years. Hearing about the work of Dorothy Bell and the late Betty James in the early days indicated that they were, along with others, instrumental in the progression of the profession.