By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: HIMSS14: Bullish on Growth in the International Healthcare IT Market
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > HIMSS14: Bullish on Growth in the International Healthcare IT Market
BusinessGlobal HealthcareTechnology

HIMSS14: Bullish on Growth in the International Healthcare IT Market

Steve Goldstein
Steve Goldstein
Share
4 Min Read
Ursula Sieberg
SHARE

Ursula SiebergUnlike many other healthcare annual confabs, the 2014 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) meeting and exhibition in Orlando, Fla. seems dominated by the North American market. But what about the international thirst for healthcare IT?

Ursula SiebergUnlike many other healthcare annual confabs, the 2014 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) meeting and exhibition in Orlando, Fla. seems dominated by the North American market. But what about the international thirst for healthcare IT? To find out, I went to the Siemens booth and sought out Senior Vice President Hartmut Schaper and Vice President Ursula Sieberg of International Health Services.

Schaper said the international market is “very diverse,” meaning some countries are very advanced in data connectivity, as in the well-managed state systems of western Europe and Scandinavia. “If you look at the majority of the rest of the world, they have to get basic infrastructure in place: basic access to healthcare, basic connectivity,” he said. “The market is very heterogeneous and it’s driven by the difference in payment, reimbursement and healthcare systems. You have everything from totally state-run, as in Scandinavia, and more complex systems like in Germany. And in my experience, the more complex systems make it harder to be at the forefront of innovation in healthcare IT.”

Sieberg noted that the Scandinavian countries are all “centrally driven, with the same strategic direction” in healthcare. High GDP is also a good indicator of growth potential for healthcare IT. The markets with the highest growth potential are the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and the Benelux countries. “Japan is a big market, but it’s not growing,” said Schaper. “China is growing in healthcare spending but not so much in IT; even by 2020 its IT demand will be smaller than Germany’s.”

More Read

psychiatric drug development
Few Psych Meds Coming Our Way
2016: The Year of Mobile Health
Verisante Technologies Detects Skin Cancer in Less Than A Second
Are U.S. Doctors Paid Too Much?
Articles about Disclosure in Online Communities

Developing countries often are spending so much on building healthcare systems that they do not have the capacity to grow IT. In Latin America, Schaper cited growth markets in Mexico, Columbia, Chile and Brazil — somewhere in the middle range after the Europeans and ahead of China.

I asked Schaper and Sieberg whether their customers understand the benefits of IT or whether they find they must educate them on this score. “Most of them understand this will create new efficiencies,” Schaper said. “Because there is a shortage of skilled nurses and physicians in Europe, they understand that IT can reduce the processing burden on the staff.”

The Aha! moment for providers in North America discovering IT was how it simplified and accelerated billing processes. Not so for the Europeans. “I think this isn’t true in Europe because it’s a different pay system,” said Schaper. “Rather, I would say it’s ease of use, higher standards of care, and the use of mobile devices, like tablets, and the ability to spend more time with patients.” Sieberg added.

Mobile use will grow, and another key trend will be increasing interconnectivity among providers and also for patients seeking access to their medical records, they said. In other words, Sieberg and Schaper are very optimistic about the global growth of healthcare IT.

TAGGED:Health ITHIMSS 2014international healthcare ITSiemens
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

Why Hospitals Need Content Management to Maximize Patient Experience

May 25, 2013
healthcare insurance industry customer service
BusinessNews

Health Insurance Industry Has Worst Customer Service – Survey Says

February 24, 2012

Healthcare Associated Infections: What is the Message, and What Can We Do About Them?

July 9, 2011

Heating Up in Healthcare Investing: Cost Transparency Firms Reel In $400M Since 2010

September 18, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?