atients hold the keys to the healthcare kingdom. Whether one turns to data from the Centers for Disease Control, advocacy organizations such as the American Cancer Society or from published research in the New England Journal of Medicine, one finding resounds--most of what drives our health status is the result of the choices we make. Even when health is genetically predisposed, the choices we make as patients and consumers have great import.

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a survey, developed by Dr. Judith Hibbard and colleagues at the University of Oregon, and is designed to assess the knowledge, skills and confidence for managing one's own health and healthcare. Research worldwide has validated the measurement power of the PAM, and the ability to use the PAM and its related body of behavioral insights to render care and support with greater effectiveness and efficiency. Insignia Health, whose CEO is Chris Delaney, has built a set of products around the PAM that enable patients to develop behaviors that are crucial to becoming more active self-managers and engaged members of their healthcare teams.

In this talk Dr. Hibbard will discuss the research behind the development of the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), how it is being used to make health care more patient-centered, and how it can improve outcomes. Mr. Delaney will discuss the translational effort to build and commercialize products based on the PAM . He will describe how these tools are being adopted and used in the healthcare market place.

The Obama Administration has allocated over $36 billion from the economic stimulus package to fund the "meaningful use" of electronic health records. This first panel of the OHSU Monthly Evening Informatics Conference will describe elements of the package and their impact in Oregon.

The speakers on the panel will include:

1. William Hersh, MD
2. David Dorr, MD
3. Dawn Bonder, JD
4. Abby Sears

Dr. Hersh will begin with an overview of the stimulus package and the larger context of health information technology. He will also make some comments on the workforce provisions in the legislation. Next, Dr. Dorr will describe in more detail the notion of "meaningful use" of electronic health records. He will be followed by Dawn Bonder, who will give an overview of HIT efforts at the state level. Finally, Abby Sears will describe the efforts of her organization, OCHIN, to bring EHRs to safety net clinics as well their leadership on the proposal Oregon HIT Regional Extension Center.

Each panelist will keep their remarks brief in order to insure opportunity for participation by the audience.

Please RSVP to Lynne Schwabe at schwabel "at" ohsu "dot" edu for catering purposes by Tuesday, October 6, 2009.

We look forward to seeing you at our first Thursday Evening Biomedical Informatics Conference this term!

The Health Technology Forum (HTF) is a global organization, dedicated to improving access to affordable health care through the development and adoption of innovative technologies.

The Portland chapter of HTF will be featuring two fantastic presentations at our second meeting.

Shawn Smith, Director of Product at MedSavvy, will be talking about the challenge of finding unbiased information about medications and how MedSavvy is helping consumers make better decisions about their healthcare.

Surbhi Mahendru, Slalom Consulting, will discuss the challenges balancing our increasingly technological lives with our personal health and wellbeing.

Before the presentations, we'll have food and drinks and a chance to interact with attendees and speakers.

Agenda

6:00 - 6:30 Networking and reception with food and drinks

6:30 - 7:45 Presentations and Q&A

7:45 - 8:00 Wrap-up and Networking

Please RSVP here to see how Portland is using cutting-edge technologies to disrupt health care and spur innovation for the public good.

OHSU is joining forces with MIT Hacking Medicine and more than 20 academic and industry partners for the inaugural OHSU Invent-a-thon, a virtual health care hackathon, October 23–25, 2020.

Open to anyone in the world, our event will convene hundreds of innovation enthusiasts – from thought leaders to students - in health care, engineering, research, business, and design to build impactful medtech and digital health solutions to pressing challenges in:

• Surgical Care
• Early Disease Detection
• Rural Health
• Management of Chronic Conditions
• Health Equity

How does a virtual health care hackathon work? During the Invent-a-thon, participants will choose a specific problem within their track and work virtually within interdisciplinary teams to brainstorm and build a solution to this problem. Teams can use all tools at their disposal and will receive expert guidance from our mentors and sponsors as they develop their solutions. At the end of the Invent-a-thon, teams pitch their solutions to a panel of judges to compete for $40,000 in prizes.

Teams emerging from the Invent-a-thon will have a chance to receive continuing mentorship and access to support and resources in order to realize their solution and create real-world impact.

Attendance is free for all accepted applicants. Let’s make healthcare better! Applications are due October 14 (apply at Inventathon.org).

Mingle with your fellow biotech and digital health enthusiasts, help build community, and share your ideas on how to further accelerate the growth of these promising sectors in Portland.

The April 6 happy hour will take place at Casa Colima Mexican Restaurant & Cantina (Hillsdale location).

These happy hours bring together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health community. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry.

Want to introduce your startup or idea at one of our upcoming happy hours? We have speaking opportunities at each of our events. If you would like 2 minutes to speak about your startup or introduce yourself or your idea to the group, please contact us at [email protected].

Please note: photos will be taken at our events and may be used in future promotions.