Transforming Healthcare with IT (THIT) is an annual international conference and the largest healthcare conference in India, organised by the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, part of Apollo Hospitals Group. The 10th Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT 2023 was held on February 13-14, 2023, at Taj Palace, New Delhi. The event brought together experts and leaders in healthcare & Information Technology (IT) from around the world, including Dr. Rekha Arcot, Dean, Apollo Institute Of Medical Sciences & Research – Hyderabad. The conference began with a curtain-raising video and lamp-lighting with Dr. Daniel Kraft. The first day of the conference featured several panel discussions on various topics such as Global Digital Health, where Levi Shapiro, founder mHealth Israel, gave an overview of Israel’s digital health story, National Initiatives taken by NITI Ayog to promote India’s digital health, and eHealth around the world with special focus on Kosova, presented by Prof. Rifat Latifi ( Former Health Minister, Republic of Kosova).
International Patient Safety was another important topic in the seminar. Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, too, emphasised the same, stating how Healthcare is transforming at a very rapid pace, and technology is enabling that transformation from the arena of patient safety and hospital information systems to all the standardised pathways. She also commended the medical profession, as the Healthcare industry is the only industry where there is constant sharing & dissemination of new discoveries, better ways to treat a patient, future trends of what works in IT and how we can all work together towards better Healthcare.
Shri. Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, Ex-CEO – NITI Ayog, was a prominent speaker at the conference and gave insights into how India is planning its digital health. Along with him, Shri. Parameswaran Iyer, the current CEO of NITI Ayog, also highlighted the successful steps taken by NITI Ayog and Indian Government towards bridging the digital health gap.
The technology perspective was explored by a panel which discussed the clinical practice changes in the last decade and the future of healthcare with the arrival of new technology like ChatGPT.The artificial intelligence panel talked about the potential for AI to revolutionise healthcare but also discussed concerns around privacy and bias. Innovations from MedTech Industry, including medical devices from India, was another topic which threw light on the evolution of healthcare with technology.
The first day ended with Joint Awards with IPSC at Durbar Hall, where Ms. Sonali Bendre was the chief guest.
The second day of the conference featured more in-depth discussions on topics such as blockchain in healthcare, patient engagement, and the use of virtual and augmented reality in medical education. The blockchain panel discussed the potential for blockchain technology to improve the security and efficiency of medical records, while the patient engagement panel discussed the importance of involving patients in their own care.
Dr. Sujoy Kar, Chief Medical Information Officer & VP, of Apollo Hospitals Group, was part of the panel “Adoption of Technology in Last Mile Delivery” and gave an overview of the Clinical Intelligence Engine. Mr. Ashokkan Somuveerappan, Chief Information Officer of Apollo Hospitals, led the panel on Computing Challenges in Clinical Data & data democratisation.
The Telemedicine panel discussed the rapid expansion of telemedicine during the pandemic and the need for regulations to catch up with the technology. The panellists and Dr. Sai Praveen Haranath, Medical Director of Apollo eACCESS TeleICU Service, also discussed the challenges of providing equitable access to telemedicine services, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Valedictory Address by Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc Bengaluru, marked the successful end of the conference’s second day.
Overall, the 10th Conference on Transforming Healthcare with IT 2023 provided valuable insights into the current state and future direction of healthcare IT. The speakers and panellists highlighted the potential for technology to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs but also discussed the challenges and potential pitfalls of implementing new technologies. The conference was a great opportunity for healthcare IT professionals to learn from each other and collaborate on solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing the healthcare industry.
Visit :https://www.transformhealth-it.org/ to know more about THIT, 2023
