Health 2.0: Digital Technology in Clinical Care

NEW YORK, March 18, 2013—On Friday, March 22, 2013, the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and the New York Academy of Sciences, will present a one-day conference and simulcast webinar on Health 2.0: Digital Technology in Clinical Care to discuss emerging digital tools and strategies and their impact on healthcare, particularly related to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

"Connected health programs, including remote monitoring, mobile health (mhealth) initiatives, relational agents, sensors and other technology-enabled interventions can create behavior change, generate efficiencies and improve the quality of patient care," says Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Center for Connected Health, Partners HealthCare, Boston, MA.

Medical labs in a phone, wearable monitoring devices, virtual nurses, consulting robots, interactive mobile devices, tailored texting, and 3-D anatomy lessons-these and other technologies promise dramatic change in medicine.

They will move point of care to wherever the patient is, vastly expand medical knowledge available to clinicians, researchers, and patients, and refocus health systems on wellness.

"Information technologies are transforming every facet of our society. The influence of information and communications technologies in healthcare practice is in its infancy, yet the potential is significant. Increasing evidence suggests that health information technologies may help us address healthcare disparities," says Michael Christopher Gibbons, MD, Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute, Baltimore, MD.

The conference, for clinicians, researchers, and educators, will be held at the New York Academy of Sciences in downtown Manhattan. CME credit will be available for onsite participants.

Presentations will focus on strategies and tools designed to improve patient outcomes, provider communications, clinical decision support, research, and medical education. Legal and ethical issues, such as privacy and professionalism in ehealth interactions, will also be discussed. Please note: The event will not address electronic health records, meaningful use, or health IT infrastructure.

Speakers are from The Center for Connected Health, the Center for Democracy & Technology, Daktari Diagnostics, Inc., IBM's Watson Research Center, MIT Media Lab, the Health Games Research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, RTI International, and academic institutions including Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Northeastern, UC San Francisco and Santa Barbara, and New York University.

The event is the most recent in a series of activities sponsored by the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute starting in 2010 to explore various aspects of health communications related to HIV and STIs, including social media, social marketing, message development, storytelling, and consumer engagement. It is also part of the New York Academy of Sciences' Translational Medicine Initiative, sponsored by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation.

For information, including the agenda and registration for the live event or the webinar, please visit www.nyas.org/DigitalHealth and www.nyconferences.org/digitalhealth/. Follow the event at #digitalhealth on Twitter.

Media must RSVP to Diana Friedman (dfriedman@nyas.org; 212.298.8645).

For a special preview of conference topics, listen to a new Science & the City podcast on digital healthcare technology: virtual patients, AI doctors, and beyond.

About the AIDS Institute of the New York State Department of Health

The AIDS Institute of the New York State Department of Health, created in 1983 by the New York State Legislature, is the agency responsible for development and funding of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease, and hepatitis services in New York State. The Institute is dedicated to eliminating new infections and improving the health and well-being of New York's diverse population through disease surveillance, health education, and quality prevention, clinical care, and support programs. More information at: http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/.

About The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation

The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation is a privately endowed philanthropy located in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. The Foundation supports programs designed to improve the education of health professionals in the interest of the health of the public, and to enhance the representation of minorities in the health professions. Visit the Foundation at www.josiahmacyfoundation.org.

About the New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.