IHE-Europe News Pulse - IHE-Europe Connectathon®

Clearly it is good news the 2020 IHE-Europe Connectathon is taking place, albeit Online this year; Can you share the reasoning behind the all-important "continuity decision" taken by the IHE Steering Committee?
Progress in digitalisation of healthcare is now more important than ever. The IHE-Europe Steering Committee wants to contribute towards minimising the impact of COVID-19 constraints on advancing the digitalisation of healthcare as much as possible.

How much was the ability to undertake the Connectathon Online driven by the unique IHE Gazelle online testing capability?
Without the availability of the proven IHE Connectathon Test Management Platform, IHE Gazelle, and the ease in establishing a public Cloud Gazelle instance it would not be possible to establish the Connectathon Online. The IHE Operations Centre in Rennes will play a crucial role in co-ordinating and controlling activities and in seamlessly integrating vendors and monitors.

How will the Online 2020 Connectathon testing compare with the normal Face-to-Face Connectathon testing, in terms of what can be achieved and how will results publication differ from the pure onsite event?
For the offered IHE Profiles we aim for the same quality and rigour in test execution as for the Face-to-Face Connectathon. Results will be published and vendors that successfully complete tests will be fully recognised, just as usual.

Will there be benefits from the Connectathon Online testing in 2020 that can flow through into future Face-to-Face Connectathons?
Of course, the experiences from the Connectathon Online will be analysed and used to further improve the IHE Connectathon concept and continue to meet stakeholder demands.
This year’s Online learning experience will be invaluable, making future events all the richer.