Digital Doctor returns

The Digital Doctor conference is back for a second year with the aim of “demystifying health IT”.

The conference, held at the BCS London office, aims to teach doctors how to use technology and tools to improve everyday tasks.

Dr Wai Keong Wong, one of the conference organisers and former chair of the Chief Clinical Information Officer Leaders Network, said he wants clinicians to have the skills to carry the NHS into the digital world.

“If they want to be able to change and influence health IT in their hospitals or practices then they need to make changes, understand technology and what it can help them with,” he said.

“It is vital that clinicians engage with this if we are truly going to have a fully technology enabled healthcare system that is suitable for the 21st century.”

The conference covers topics such as app creation, how to convince people to help you and how to use social media as a clinician.

This year, the conference includes speakers such as Martin Murphy, the clinical director of IT for the NHS Wales Informatics Service.

Murphy said that healthcare IT is important not just for health informaticians, but for all health practitioners.

“From our experience patients and doctors want to use technology to make their experience of healthcare better and bring it in line with the expectations they have from other areas of life where technology helps deliver service efficiently,” he said.

EHI reported last month that an app created by a doctor at the Digital Doctor conference last year has recently been piloted at Watford General Hospital with great success.

This year’s conference takes place on 9- 10 November at the BCS in Covent Garden.