SMITH Congress 2019 shows progress and prospects for Medical Informatics Initiative
On September 17 and 18, 2019, the SMITH Consortium – one of four consortia of the Medical Informatics Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research – presented itself for the first time during a two-day congress in Berlin. Under the motto “New Horizons in Digital Health”, the potential of the Medical Informatics Initiative for the future and the added value of digital medicine were demonstrated. 170 participants discussed together with proven national as well as international experts about necessary changes in the current care structures and the possibilities of digitally supported health care. A central aspect of the discussions was high-quality care with treatment approaches that focus on the individual.
“The Medical Informatics Initiative is an attempt to bring movement into Health IT – both inpatient and outpatient. Decisive steps are being taken to improve diagnosis, prevention and therapy, thereby raising healthcare to a new level in the long term,” said Prof. Dr. Markus Löffler, Consortium Leader of SMITH, at the opening of the congress. The event illustrated the will for exchange and a constructive cooperation of authorities, economy, science, interest groups, as well as all of the four consortia of the Medical Informatics Initiative – DIFUTURE, HIGHmed, MIRACUM and SMITH. Politicians were impressed by the dynamics of the event. Pioneering work is being done in the development of digital medicine. The SMITH Congress demonstrated the progress that had been made and provided impetus for the work still to come, emphasized Ministerial Councilor Eva Nourney, who was on hand as a representative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Dr. Gottfried Ludewig, Head of the Department of Digitization and Innovation at the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), followed suit in his keynote presentation. He said the BMG actively supports the dovetailing of health care and research.
While the first day of the congress focused on the potential of the initiative for the further development of medical care, the second day was dedicated to the roll-out, i.e. the integration of care and clinical research in outpatient and inpatient care. The conference concluded with an international perspective on the importance and development status of digital medicine. Adjacent to the congress, the second working meeting of the SMITH External Advisory Board took place. The Advisory Board is composed of international experts in the fields of Digital Health, Data Science, Social Science and the Healthcare IT industry. It advises the consortium from an external and interdisciplinary perspective on the current work status and planned project steps.
In 2021, a continuation of the SMITH Congress is planned under the title “New Solutions in Digital Health”. The results of the SMITH Consortium’s work will be presented in open communication. The aim is to facilitate the collaboration of all healthcare stakeholders through medical informatics applications and comprehensive networks.
Save the Date!
SMITH Congress 2021 „New Solutions in Digital Health“ | 28. – 29.10.2021 | dbb forum Berlin
More information:
www.smith.care | https://www.digital-health-2019.de/
Photos: © SMITH Geschäftsstelle / C. Hüller