Medicine X began today with a theatrical bang as quotes from past speakers filled the main presentation hall and flashed across on the stage against an electrifying soundtrack. In welcoming both old and new friends to the conference, Larry Chu, MD, associate professor of anesthesia at the School of Medicine and executive director of the conference, repeated a sentiment from last year's event, saying, "You belong here with us - we all care about health care."
Stanford's premier conference on emerging health-care technology and patient-centered medicine, the event attracted more than 400 patients, health-care providers, technologists, researchers and entrepreneurs to engage in moon shot thinking about the future of medicine and health care. Several hundred more watched the conference webcast.
"We've seen information technologies transform lives in so many ways; now it's time to harness this power to improve health," Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the medical school, told the audience in the morning. He encouraged attendees "to think big" and to use their time at Medicine X to identify collaborators to take their ideas from concept to reality.
Collaborations and relationships were the theme of the day, with sessions focused on how engaged patients and their doctors can become the medical team of the future, how the pharmaceutical industry and patients can work together in the drug discovery and clinical trial process, how chronic-disease patients use self-trackers as a sort of partner in their care, and how developers of digital technologies are collaborating with those who might not have an obvious voice. As one Twitter user commented, "Most common words at #medx conference so far: transparent, engaged, relationships, connected."
Medicine X continues tomorrow and Sunday. If you're unable to attend the conference in person, you can participate in plenary sessions virtually through a high-quality streaming webcast; registration for the Global Access Program webcast is free. We'll also be live tweeting the keynotes and other proceedings from the conference; you can follow our tweets on the @SUMedicine feed or follow the hashtag #MedX.
More news about Stanford Medicine X is available in the Medicine X category.
Previously: Stanford Medicine X 2014 kicks off today, Countdown to Medicine X: 3D printing takes shape, Countdown to Medicine X: Specially designed apps to enhance attendees' conference experience and Countdown to Medicine X: How to engage with the "no smartphone" patient
Photo by Stanford Medicine X
