Web Pioneer To Speak At Highland Conference

11th February 2011

A powerful group of speakers is coming to Inverness as part of a follow-up event to the successful P4 Digital Healthcare conference held last September. Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the" P4 Digital Melting Pot: Exploring and Connecting" conference will take place on 10 and 11 May 2011 at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness.

Combining life science, healthcare and ICT, the event promises an exciting list of presenters from a variety of backgrounds. Confirmed speakers include Professor Dame Wendy Hall of the Web Science Trust, whose ground-breaking Microcosm hypermedia system pre-dated the Web; Dr Axel Nemetz, Vodafone Global Enterprises Head of M-Health Solutions; Dr George Crookes, Clinical Director and Chief Operating Officer for NHS 24; Dr Vivien Swanson, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology at the University of Stirling; Dr Steve Setford, Director at LifeScan; and Professor Irene McAra McWilliam, Head of School (Design) at Glasgow School of Art.

The previous P4 Digital Healthcare event at Eden Court in Inverness explored the innovative use of modern technology to promote health and prevent illness. It is recognised that in the coming years, healthcare will become more Preventative, Predictive, Participatory and Personalised in response to significant global trends and drivers such as budget constraints, ageing populations and the rise of lifestyle related illnesses.

The first day will focus on business whilst the second will focus on service provision. Delegates will also have the opportunity to host an exhibition stand, with space available on a first come, first served basis.

As a largely mountainous region with a widely-scattered mainland population and almost 100 inhabited islands, the Highlands and Islands is a location which stands to benefit greatly from healthcare innovation. Many other regions around the world face similar challenges.

The P4 Digital Healthcare conventions are a follow-up to a highly successful Telehealthcare summit which the HIE held in summer 2010. This event helped define a vision for developing a new telehealthcare industry in Scotland, with HIE playing a central role in helping forge collaborative links between the worlds of healthcare, science and business.

It also highlighted new equipment to monitor road accident casualties, life saving diagnostic devices for mountain rescue teams, and software to enable more care at home for people with long-term conditions.

To find out more and download the 'Vision for Telehealthcare in Scotland 2020', visit the Life Sciences section on the HIE website www.hie.co.uk

Confirmed speakers and subjects:

Professor Irene McAra McWilliam, Head of School (Design) at Glasgow School of Art - P4 and the Creative Industries

Dr Vivien Swanson, University of Stirling, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology - P4 and Consumer Health Psychology

Dr George Crookes, NHS 24, Chief Operating Officer and Clinical Director - P4 and the NHS

Dr Steve Stetford, LifeScan, Director, Concepts - P4, Biosensors and Devices

Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Web Science Trust, Programme Board Trustee - P4 and the Web

Dr Axel Nemetz, Vodafone Global Enterprise, Head of Global M-Health Solutions - P4 and Mobile Networks.