The Role Of Medical Events In The Digital Health Revolution

Medical and healthcare events that bring every stakeholder together play a significant role in how the digital health revolution unfolds. After attending and speaking at almost a thousand events in the last two decades, there are some insights organizers of events can embrace to lead successful conferences.

1) Patient Design

How can any event organizer think that they can organize an event without having patients not just in the audience but among the speakers too? Patient-centric design in event planning involves integrating them into every layer of the event, from planning committees to keynote speeches. This ensures that their unique insights and experiences are not only heard but also acted upon. The most powerful events I have seen included patients on the stage every single time.?

There are excellent patient scholars and speakers who can contribute to even medical events.

A powerful example of patient-centric design in action is the involvement of Dave deBronkart, better known as "e-Patient Dave," in healthcare conferences. DeBronkart, a cancer survivor and one of the world's leading advocates for patient engagement, has dramatically shifted how conferences address patient care by bringing the patient’s voice into a domain traditionally dominated by healthcare professionals.

His participation in events like Medicine X at Stanford has shown how patient speakers can profoundly impact the audience and the broader discourse in healthcare. By sharing his experiences and advocating for patient data access and patient-empowered care, deBronkart exemplifies how valuable and transformative patient contributions can be at medical conferences.

To further enhance patient-centric design, organizers should consider:

• Actively seek out and invite patient advocates like Dave deBronkart who can provide real-world insights and have a history of effective advocacy.
• Establish advisory panels composed of patients who can provide continuous feedback on conference themes, accessibility, and inclusivity.

2) A Lasting Online Presence:

Every conference has a website and a hashtag on social media to lead discussions, but a good event should not let attendees lose touch with each other. By connecting them through interesting conversations, even one social media channel can be enough to provide a platform for ongoing streams of information.

A few examples could include:

• Events can use interactive platforms like Twitter Spaces, LinkedIn Live, or Clubhouse to host live discussions during breaks.
• Platforms like Discord can provide digital rooms categorized by interests (e.g., AI in diagnostics, patient engagement tools) where attendees can continue discussing specialized topics.
• Event organizers can use social media channels or newsletters to share curated discussion threads or highlight sessions, linking back to recorded videos, articles, or key discussion points.
• Hosting post-event webinars or Q&A sessions on platforms like Zoom or LinkedIn Live, open exclusively to attendees, can extend the learning and networking.

3) Technology as an Enhancement, Not a Replacement:

It's always fun to get attendees engaged more by using some exciting technologies such as augmented reality through QR codes or even virtual reality experiences before the event begins, but relying too much on technologies might damage the user experience. The focus should be on the content rather than the format.

• Augmented reality (AR) features, like scanning QR codes to access exclusive content or virtual tours of the event space, can create excitement and draw attendees in.
• Offering VR sneak peeks, like a walkthrough of innovative health tech labs or clinics, can captivate interest early. For example, attendees might enjoy a VR demo of a medical device, which primes them for deeper discussions in later sessions.
• Apps that integrate AR or VR elements can enhance networking by overlaying information, like attendee names and interests, in real-time at in-person events.

4) Dynamic Q&A Sessions:

Before the pandemic, Q&As used to be a slow part of events where a person had to wait to get the microphone to ask a question. But the rise of virtual events has led to Q&As becoming more dynamic and interesting both for attendees and the speakers. As attendees can submit questions during speeches, it only depends on the speaker how vibrant a discussion can become.

5) The Power of Hybrid Events:

It is not only possible to mix on-stage speeches with virtual ones, but if the virtual keynote speakers can use their technology and craft customized to the virtual presence, it can lead to great results. Such a mixed agenda can provide attendees with a range of different experiences.

By embracing these principles, organizers can create medical events that not only inform and inspire but also drive innovation and collaboration in the digital health landscape, helping the paradigm shift that’s digital health move forward.?

I, as a keynote speaker, really look forward to continuing to contribute to this evolution through technology, virtual formats, and engaging keynote presentations.