Precision Medicine Takes Center Stage at Connected Health Conference

Sessions featuring national health policy expert Susan Dentzer and White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force Executive Director, Greg Simon

ARLINGTON, VA (December 5, 2016) – Accelerating doctors’ ability to diagnose and develop a personalized treatment plan for cancers and other genetically-linked conditions via precision medicine will take center stage at the 8th annual Connected Health Conference, taking place December 11-14 in Washington, DC. A plenary session and two workshops with luminaries representing perspectives from policy, clinical care, patient advocacy and technology will discuss the barriers to accelerating the vision for global attainment of, and access to, precision medicine, including  access and integration of clinical and genomics data, analytics and interoperability, as well as private sector, legislative and regulatory approaches for review and approval of genomic sequencing and other software and devices needed to advance the field.

The Accelerating Precision Medicine plenary session on December 12 will address the barriers and opportunities to speeding the pace of precision medicine as an accepted approach to diagnosis and treatment, with panelists representing the patient, provider, technology and policy viewpoints. The discussion will be led by Susan Dentzer, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Network for Excellence in Health Innovation (NEHI), and a leading national expert in health care and health policy. The panel will feature thought leaders:  Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor & Chair, Department of Biomedical Informatics; Professor, Department of Pediatrics; Sr. VP, Health Information Technology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Bray Patrick-Lake, Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Patient Engagement, Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute; Member, Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Advisory Board; Michael McManus, PhD, Sr. Health & Life Science Solution Architect, Intel; and Greg Simon, JD, Executive Director, White House Cancer Task Force.

"Precision medicine can account for individual factors, such as lifestyle, environment and genetics, in order to determine tailored treatment plans that can save lives," said Richard Scarfo, Vice President, PCHAlliance, and Director, Connected Health Conference. "We are very pleased to welcome some of the most forward-thinking leaders in precision medicine to our stage, to advance this important opportunity."

Following this expert panel, two interactive, facilitated workshops will invite attendees to share perspectives on policy and technology approaches to achieving the vision for precision medicine. Insights from the plenary panel and workshop sessions will be delivered in a report to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Defining Policy Changes Needed for Accelerating Precision Medicine

Addressing issues on data exchange, interoperability of health records, patient privacy, regulatory authority, and payment can help move precision medicine forward. Intel's Alice Borrelli, Director Global Health and Workforce Policy, will lead the discussion on private sector, legislative and regulatory approaches.  

Overcoming Technology Barriers to Precision Medicine

Rick Cnossen, Intel's General Manager of Global Health IT Solutions, will moderate an interactive discussion on technology barriers, including secure data sharing, the size and speed of data sequencing, and scalability, which are keeping precision medicine from moving forward quickly.

Hosted by PCHAlliance, the Connected Health Conference will take place December 11-14, 2016, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, DC, focusing on the theme “Personal Connected Health for All: Expanding Reach, Accelerating Impact.” Formerly the mHealth Summit, the Connected Health Conference was renamed to better reflect an increasingly consumer-centered, technology-enabled and collaborative approach to improving health and wellness.

The 2016 Connected Health Conference will showcase the research, evidence, best practices and practical skills supporting positive health outcomes, and promote a collective call to action to reimagine health and wellbeing. In line with PCHAlliance's mission, the conference will also provide opportunities to learn and develop skills that can be immediately applied to advance the adoption and implementation of personal connected health in community and public health as well as healthcare settings.

GENERAL REGISTRATION:  Register for the Connected Health Conference: http://www.pchaconference.org/

MEDIA REGISTRATION:  For information about the PCHAlliance’s Connected Health Conference, or for complimentary Media Registration, please contact Gina Cella at 857-239-9198 or gcella@pchalliance.org.

About the Connected Health Conference

The Connected Health Conference, formerly the mHealth Summit, is the premier international conference and expo for the exchange of research, evidence, ideas, innovations and opportunities in connected health. In its eighth year, the event features industry-leading keynote presentations, four tracks of dynamic programming, poster presentations, an interactive exhibit floor, pre-conference symposia and high-value networking sessions. The Connected Health Conference is presented by the Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHAlliance), a non-profit organization formed by HIMSS.

About the Personal Connected Health Alliance

The Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHAlliance) is a non-profit organization formed by HIMSS,  working to make health and wellness an effortless part of daily life. PCHAlliance is collaborating with industry, healthcare, public policy, research and advocacy groups to convene the global personal connected health community, and to accelerate the technical, business, policy and social initiatives necessary to advance the field. PCHAlliance hosts the annual Connected Health Conference, an international forum and expo for networking and showcasing advancements in research, innovations and opportunities in personal connected health. PCHAlliance is home to Continua, which publishes the annual Continua Design Guidelines, recognized as the international standard for user friendly end-to-end interoperability of personal connected health devices and systems.