14 Healthcare The first of these events on 3 October was ‘This AI Life: ensuring our AI future works for us’, which focused on the opportunities that AI could bring to the healthcare sector, along with the checks that should be put in place and the ethical considerations that cannot be ignored. A highlight from the event at IET London: Savoy Place was Sir John Dermot Turing – nephew of Alan Turing – who spoke about how he envisions the evolution of AI. Big data made smart in health and care On 18 October, an IET Healthcare Think BIG Future Health and Life Science Series event in Leeds tackled the issues surrounding big data in health and care. A number of topics were raised, including the importance of having proper data governance and infrastructure processes, how data can be used to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, and how the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) makes use of massive quantities of data. There were also presentations on why the healthcare system would benefit greatly from the decentralisation of data silos, how to make care services more patient-centred using technology, and ensuring databases and devices are secure. Speakers included Tom Denwood of NHS Digital, Dr Sean Clarkson from Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network and Mark Gooding, Chief Scientist at Mirada Medical. Immersive technologies for healthcare Back at Savoy Place on 19 November, an event co-organised by the IET and Immerse UK saw professionals come together for a showcase of some of the UK’s most exciting work in virtual and augmented reality within healthcare. Attendees got the chance to interact with the devices. They also learned about how immersive tech could be used to treat specific conditions, whether it could effectively replace or support existing treatments and why this could be an attractive area for startups. Medical devices and data: future-proofing health and care Making sense of public attitudes towards data was a key part of the agenda at the next IET Think BIG event in Cambridge on 22 November, which began with a talk from Philippa Shelton on ‘Understanding Patient Data’. Aamir Butt explained how his company Lancor Scientific has been using blockchain to eliminate data ownership and security issues. Edge Health CTO Christian Moroy also spoke about how the NHS invests heavily in new technology for treatment and yet still relies on out of date equipment for administrative and operational tasks. IET raises the bar with a packed schedule of healthcare events Panel discussion at ‘This AI Life’ event, Savoy Place Five healthcare-related IET events were held across the UK in October and November, covering topics ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive technology to the challenges of introducing new technology to clinical settings. Member News March 2019