The Digital Health Assembly: Open Innovation conference (10-12 February 2015), jointly organised by the eHealth Industries Innovation (ehi²) Centre, College of Medicine, Swansea University and the Medical Research Council funded The Farr Institute for Health Informatics Research, has opened its doors to over 300 international delegates who want to explore advances in digital health and open innovation. 

The event, which is taking place for the first time in 2015 at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, has attracted speakers and delegates from across the globe including MIT Center for Digital Business, World Health Organization, the European Space Agency, leading companies including Intel, CISCO, Siemens Healthcare and IBM, and an array of organisations which are charged with modernising healthcare - including the NHS in Wales and beyond.

David Ford, Conference Chair and Professor of Health Informatics at Swansea University’s College of Medicine and Deputy Director of The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, said: “Digital Health Assembly: Open innovation has brought together a diverse and extremely impressive collection of innovative minds from the healthcare and technology sectors worldwide. The interest in the Conference and the calibre of the delegates and speakers that we have attracted is a great reflection of this exciting and important area of work.

“We are delighted to have been able to bring a number of world-renowned industry leaders to speak at the three day event, along with a fascinating mix of great companies that are shaping digital healthcare worldwide. It is due to them, together with support from the Welsh Government and our partner organisations, that this Conference will not only impart knowledge across the sector but also through the numerous discussion opportunities will catalyse significant change.”

Focusing on the key themes of ’Big Data’, ’Empowering Patients and Staff’ and ’Innovative Business Models’, the conference addresses topics vital for efficient, effective and safe modern healthcare systems.

The three day event is organised around a series of workshops, presentations, roundtable discussions and innovation sessions.

Deputy Minister for Health Vaughan Gething said: “Today’s information world is fast, flexible and mobile. The way we interact with each other and with services is constantly evolving.  People rightly expect health and care providers to offer more interactive, personalised services with effective communication between professionals and users of services to deliver the best possible care.

“I am keen for the Welsh Government’s prudent healthcare strategy to focus on using technology to support effective treatment and help professionals and patients work as partners.  Our eHealth and Care in Wales strategy is helping to ensure the people of Wales, the NHS and social services can take advantage of the benefits that the latest technologies have to offer.”

Digital Health Assembly: Open Innovation explores the potential that open innovation can have on organisations operating within the digital health sector and will produce an industry report created from the discussions and debates conducted throughout the conference’s unique daily discussion format.

Each day roundtable panellists will gather to discuss challenges and opportunities for digital healthcare, which then open out into wider deliberation via a hot topic panel discussion sessions. Delegates are then invited to continue debating the topic and potential solutions in the innovate sessions.

Follow the event on Twitter at @DHAssembly