by DJ Edgerton (@wiltonbound)
We have an interesting relationship with pharma conferences.
On the one hand, we love them. We think the chances to share best practices and nascent ideas, to learn from each other and to network are all fabulous. Weve been to dozens, shared video and recaps, and told you about “Conferences You Should Be Attending.
On the other hand, weve been saying for quite some time that “Its Time for a New Kind of Pharma Conference. One that focuses more on people getting together to create new ideas, not just listen to case studies of incremental improvements. One where people from other industries come in and tell us what they think we should be trying to do, not just us talking to each other. One that goes a little bit further. A Dream Team conference on digital healthcare.
Like TEDMED, only more accessible and more often. Like SXSW, but more medical. Compelling, engaging. No podiums. Just passionate people riffing about something that means the world to them for 15 minutes – and, heres the key: getting people involved afterward. A conference where you leave with homework.
Something cross-disciplinary – with practicing physicians, nurses, nurse practioners and physician assistants; coders and designers; patients and support group founders. Something more than just pharma, more even than just healthcare. Something truly about the crossroads between digital and wellness. Where we talk about what is needed, match it up with the latest technology available, and then go off and make things happen. A jumping-off point where projects begin.
Here are some of the sessions that Id personally love to sit in on:
- What being a doctor throughout the 21st century should look like, by Dr. Jay Parkinson
- Forging your healthcare social media career path, with Marc Monseau and Shwen Gwee
- Thinking outside the social media box when working in digital healthcare communications, by Steve Woodruff
- On what the “e-patient phenomenon really means for pharma execs, by Dave deBronkart
- The National Nanotechnology Initiative with an update on their research and an offer for pharmaceutical-company research partnerships
- A new resident speaking about why he or she is getting into medicine – and what they need to make those dreams reality
- A video-game designer on the latest breakthroughs in game design and the theories that underpin the most effective and groundbreaking interactive digital products
- A teenage oncology patient talking about what would really make a difference in their lives and their families, and where theyre being let down now
- A religious counselor on what they see people needing most in this age of increased technology and decreased face-to-face interaction – and how feeding that need could affect their health, mental and otherwise
Wed love to make this more than just a dream, either online or in person, in the months ahead. So, if you know – or are – someone who could make this a reality, who could be one of our dream-team speakers, please get in touch. Lets make this happen.