"Innovate or die" was the rallying cry at HIMSS16, according to John Halamka, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Writing on his blog, Halamka said that was the "one overarching concept" from the conference. That's because compliance will give way to improved outcomes to survive financially.

"Providers will be responsible for the care that their patients receive throughout the community—inpatient, outpatient, urgent care, post acute care and home care all contribute to total medical expense and wellness," he wrote. "Some of the care may be delivered by people and organizations outside the of the control of primary care givers. The only way they can succeed is by aggregating data from payers, providers, and patients/families in an attempt to provide 'care traffic control.'"

That will lead to an ecosystem of apps, services and connectivity around the EHR to enhance usability and workflow, Halamka added.

It’s time to replace compliance with determination to make healthcare better, he wrote, adding that most innovations will reduce risk by leveraging the experience of more people outside an organization.  

"I left HIMSS this year with great optimism. Vendors, technologies and incentives are aligned for positive change."