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October
Open Materials, Medicine, and Nanotechnology Summit: ASM International
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Dates: 2-5 October 2006
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel & MBNA Conference Center
Renowned keynote speakers will describe the spectrum of materials-related challenges in orthopedics and spinal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, neurology and neurosurgery, and minimally invasive surgery at the upcoming Materials, Medicine and Nanotechnology Summit, to be held in Cleveland Oct. 2-5, 2006.
Hosted by Cleveland Clinic, ASM International and the Nano-Network, the Summit will bring together clinicians, materials experts and medical device manufacturers and suppliers to discuss the latest materials advances, nanotechnology discoveries and medical applications for the healthcare industry.
The Summit will feature a Nanomedicine track focused on biomedical sensors, drug delivery, cellular diagnostics, tissue engineering, and clinical opportunities for nanoparticles. A parallel program track on Materials and Processes for Medical Devices (MPMD) will recognize the role of materials selection and processes in the development of new devices.
Plenary keynote speakers include:
- Edward C. Benzel, M.D., Chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute and Director of the Neurological Surgery Residency Training Program. Dr. Benzel will discuss the future of spine surgery and opportunities for using micro- and nanotechnology that enable neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons to perform therapies that were previously thought impossible, and to monitor patients more accurately and with greater safety.
- Leonard A.R. Golding, M.D., Director of the Innovative Ventricular Assist System (IVAS) Program at Cleveland Clinic, who will discuss the state-of-the-art cardiac pump for use in patients with terminal heart failure that was developed at Cleveland Clinic.
- Ali Rezai, M.D., Chairman of the Center for Neurological Restoration and Director of the Brain Neuromodulation Center at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Rezai will discuss the brain surgery technique called deep brain stimulation and the brain “pacemaker” device that has led to improved quality of life from patients suffering with Parkinson’s disease, migraine headaches and other chronic pain syndromes, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and stroke survivors.
- Dana J. Medlin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Materials & Metallurgical Engineering Department, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. A leading expert on materials for orthopedic applications, Medlin will describe major trends in minimally invasive surgical procedures, which radically reduce the size of the surgical incision and potentially cause less damage to the soft tissue surrounding the replaced joint .
- Sanjay Shrivastava, Ph.D., Principal Engineer, Abbott Vascular Devices, He will describe the impact of materials on the development of minimally invasive procedures and implants, which have replaced many complex surgical procedures during the past decade. Vascular implants for peripheral vessels in particular have been impacted by Nitinol. This alloy has enhanced the development of minimally invasive procedures for the placement of vascular stents.
Plenary keynote speakers representing ASM’s Materials and Processes for Medical Devices initiative include:
- Dana J. Medlin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Materials & Metallurgical Engineering Department, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. A leading expert on materials for orthopedic applications, Medlin will describe major trends in minimally invasive surgical procedures, which radically reduce the size of the surgical incision and potentially cause less damage to the soft tissue surrounding the replaced joint
- Sanjay Shrivastava, Ph.D., Principal Engineer, Abbott Vascular Devices, He will describe the impact of materials on the development of minimally invasive procedures and implants, which have replaced many complex surgical procedures during the past decade. Vascular implants for peripheral vessels in particular have been impacted by Nitinol. This alloy has enhanced the development of minimally invasive procedures for the placement of vascular stents.
Program Details
“If the researchers don’t know what the clinicians are doing, and the clinicians don’t know what the scientists are doing, it’s like an uncoordinated person playing basketball. You need coordination.”
— Edward C. Benzel, M.D., Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute, Director of the Neurological Surgery Residency Program, Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship Program, and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery atCleveland Clinic
Education Classes: Monday, October 2
Materials and Processes for Medical Deviceseducation classescovering polymers, basic metallurgy, Nitinol, and fracture and fatigue for medical devices. Morning sessions are designed for engineers and materials professionals, with afternoon sessions designed for clinicians and medical practitioners.
Please visit the conference website at http://www.nanomedicinesummit.org/ for registration and exhibitor information.
October
"Technology Innovation in Health Care: Who's Calling the Shots?" - The 2006 Labelle Lecture: McMaster University
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dates: 4 October 2006
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3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Reception to follow-Phoenix Lounge, Wentworth House
Lecturer: Pascale Lehoux
Associate Professor, Department of Health Administration, University of Montreal. Canada Research Chair on Innovation in HealthDiscussant: Geoff Fernie
Vice President, Research at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Abstract: Since the mid-1980s, health care systems have had to adapt to the constant emergence of technologies and the rising cost of health care services. Nevertheless, we know very little about why certain innovations emerge while others do not, and who makes these decisions. Although industry is often portrayed as the profit-driven “big bad wolf,” several groups, including clinicians and governments, play a pivotal role in innovation. One issue that remains largely unacknowledged is the extent to which these groups are interdependent. For instance, the industry branch of government largely supports R&D while health care decision-makers are those holding the purse strings. Industry needs to collaborate with patient associations and the media to promote the idea that rapid access to innovations will benefit the population. And clinicians, who generally wish to increase the scope of their clinical tools, usually build convincing claims about their patients’ needs. This lecture will examine how these groups negotiate what innovations should be funded and promoted and how some of their claims become more convincing than others.
Biosketch: Pascale obtained her Ph.D. in Public Health from University of Montreal in 1996. She obtained a National Scholar from the NHRDP (1998-2003) and a New Investigator Award from the CIHR-IHPSR (2003-2005). She is a Researcher with the Groupe de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Sante (GRIS) at University of Montreal and was a consultant researcher for the Quebec Health Services and Technology Assessment agency (AETMIS) between 1994 and 2004. She currently holds a Canada Research Chair on Innovation in Health (2005-2010) where her current research interests lie with the sociology of innovation, the production and use of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), and knowledge utilization. She recently published a book entitled The Problem of Health Technology.
For further information regarding the Lectureship please contact:
Christine Henderson,
Program for Assessment of Technology in Health (PATH)
25 Main Street West, Suite 2000,
Hamilton, ON. L8P 1H1
Tel: 905-523-7284, x5268
Fax: 905-522-0568
email: hendersc@mcmaster.ca
Website: http://www.path-hta.ca/
ESF-IfW Conferences on The Global Health Economy - New Technology and Medical Decision Making: Normative Models and Empirical Practice: European Science Foundation
Location: Salzau Castle (near Kiel), Germany
Dates: 4-9 October 2006
Deadline for Applications: 7 August 2006 (deadline extended)
- Chair: Uwe Siebert UMIT, Hall, AT & Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
- Co-Chair: Peter Zweifel University of Zürich, CH
A certain number of grants (covering the conference fee and possibly part of the travel costs) will be available for young researchers. Grant requests should be made by ticking appropriate field(s) in the section #5 “Grant application” of the application form.
With support from the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung für Wissenschaftsförderung and the State Government of Schleswig-Holstein through its Gesundheitsinitiative
Invited Speakers will include
- H. Bleichrodt Erasmus U. Rotterdam, NL
- J.L. Bosch Erasmus U. Rotterdam, NL
- A. Briggs Glasgow U., UK
- D.I. Brixner Utah U., Salt Lake City, US
- K. Claxton York U., Heslington, UK
- D.E. Detmer Virginia U., US
- L. Eeckhoudt CORE Louvain-la-Neuve, BE
- E.-M. Engels Tübingen U., DE
- A.C. Gelijns Columbia U. New York, US
- R. Körfer Bochum U., DE
- M. Krahn Toronto U, CA
- T. Lindholm Stockholm U., SE
- F. Martín-Sanchez National Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, ES
- D.O. Meltzer Chicago U., US
- J.S. Pliskin Ben-Gurion U., IL
- P. Propping Bonn U., DE
- M.S. Roberts Pittsburgh U., US
- J.M. Robins Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, US
- D. Timmermans Amsterdam U., NL
- M. Sculpher York U., UK
- U. Siebert UMIT Hall, AT & Harvard Medical School, Boston, US
- P. Zweifel Zürich U., CH
Scope: Rapid advances in medical knowledge and technology have long been recognized as a key challenge to the theory and practice of medical decision making. From an economic point of view, the need to revise and update decision making rules as new knowledge and diagnostic and therapeutic choices become available represents an investment problem - both in the management of individual patients and in the management of medical technology at the systemic level. Fundamental uncertainty and often irreversible consequences of specific choices abound. At either level, efficiency requires that investment decisions be based on the timely supply of evidence on a technology’s efficacy and cost-effectiveness. This necessitates further improvements in the methodology of health technology assessments, including more comprehensive economic evaluations, as well as in the set of institutions that govern health care practice and determine how quickly new information diffuses, how careful it is evaluated, filtered and targeted at those most likely to benefit from it, and how the risks associated with the adoption of new technology are allocated.
Our conference comprises five thematic sessions with invited presentations and additional short talks and poster viewing sessions. The main sessions are titled:
- Trends in Medical Technology – Focusing Devices, Technological Trajectories, and Forecasting,
- The Science of Medical Decision Making – Producing and Using Information for Efficient Risk Management,
- Medical Infrastructure, Insurance, and the Diffusion of Innovation,
- Methods for Estimating the Causal Effect of Medical Interventions from Observational Data,
- Priority Setting, Health Technology Assessment, and Research Investments.
Young researchers from economics, medicine and related disciplines are invited to apply for this conference and contribute their own ideas and research findings for selected short talks and poster viewing sessions. Grants to cover the conference fee and a generous contribution towards travel costs will be available for the best young applicants. In addition, there will be talks selected from poster abstracts and prizes awarded for the best posters. The overall objective is to build international and interdisciplinary research networks in the area of medical decision making.
Application Form & Programme available online
European Science Foundation
ESF Research Conferences Unit
1 quai Lezay-Marnésia
BP 90015
67080 Strasbourg Cedex
France
Phone +33 (0)388 76 71 35
Fax +33 (0)388 36 69 87
Email: conferences@esf.org
http://www.esf.org/conferences
October 04, 2006: Health Economics
October
4th Annual Southeastern Health Economics Study Group Conference
Location: Coral Gables, Florida, USA
Dates: 6-7 October 2006
Conference Web Site: http://www.miami.edu/herg
The purpose of The Southeastern Health Economic Study Group (SHESG) conference is to present and promote active exchange and discussion of the latest health economics research among senior and junior economists. Ten papers will be accepted for presentation. This year, the conference will be hosted by the University of Miami Health Economics Research Group and will consist of a full day of presentations on Friday, October 6 and a half-day of presentations on Saturday, October 7. Each paper will be allotted one hour, including 30 minutes for presentation and 30 minutes for discussant comments and discussion from the floor. The number of participants in the conference will be limited to presenters, discussants, and other invited guests. While submissions are invited from any geographical location, preference will be given to presenters from the southeastern region of the United States.
If you would like to participate, please submit an abstract (maximum of two pages) in electronic format (pdf preferred) to herg@miami.edu by May 15, 2006. Submissions should be unpublished. Decisions will be made by June 15, 2006; completed papers must be received by the conference organizers by August 15, 2006.
Some meals will be provided. All other expenses, including transportation and lodging, are the participants’ responsibility.
Conference Contact: Steven Milas (smilas@miami.edu)
Steering Committee
- W. David Bradford (Medical University of SC),
- Marisa Domino (University of North Carolina),
- Alvin Headen (North Carolina State University),
- Richard Lindrooth (Medical University of SC),
- Michael Morrisey (University of Alabama at Birmingham),
- Christopher Ruhm (University of North Carolina at Greensboro),
- Frank Sloan (Duke University)
October 06, 2006: Health Economics
October
Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) - "Joining Forces for Managing Risks"
Location: Liege, Belgium
Dates: 11-13 October 2006
The general theme for the 6th Annual Meeting chosen by the Scientific Committee is “Joining Forces for Managing Risks”.
Recent examples have illustrated the difficulty to successfully combine two objectives for new drugs: to offer innovator drugs to better treat or relieve diseases and to achieve the highest level of safety for patients. It has also been realised that early management of risks is essential to ensure availability and continuous use of safe and effective medicines.
The concept of risk management has been introduced in many regions in order to identify, assess and reduce drug-related risks at an early stage after marketing. But it is only through effective collaboration and common understanding between pharmaceutical companies, regulators and academia that these objectives will be achieved. Using the experience collected so far, the 6th ISoP Annual Meeting will discuss important aspects of risk management and draw lessons for the future.
The 6th ISoP Annual Meeting will follow the 29th Annual Meeting of National Centres participating in the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (9-11 October 2006). A joint session will be organised on 11 October. It will represent a wonderful opportunity to share worldwide experience on drug safety.
Further information can be found at http://www.isop2006.org/.
October 11, 2006: Health Policy
October
IAPAC European Sessions 2006: The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) and the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS)
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Dates: 12-13 October 2006
Event Type: Clinical Meeting
Subjects: Implications of a Decade of HAART, Navigating ARV Drug Resistance, Sociobehavioral Aspects of HIV Care and Emerging Issues in HIV Care
Description: The annual IAPAC European Sessions is a unique symposium that allows HIV-treating healthcare professionals to learn from each other while working toward solutions to on-going clinical questions. This meeting empowers attendees to benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of their peers. After short presentations on critical treatment issues, the floor is opened to debate and discussion. This interactive symposium work is crucial given that years after the development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) there remain contentious and mystifying problems in the medical treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS.
For additional information, contact Aimee Clark by e-mail at aclark@iapac.org or visit the official conference Web site at http://www.iapac.org/.
October
23rd International Conference of ISQua (International Society for Quality in Health Care)
Location: London, England, UK
Dates: 22-25 October 2006
Venue: QEII Conference Centre in Westminster
The 23rd International Conference of ISQua (International Society for Quality in Health Care) which is to be in London at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster from 22 - 25 October.
Delegates are provided with many opportunities to learn innovative approaches to achieving best practice which can be implemented in their own professional settings, also to exchange with peers on key initiatives in outcomes research and to learn how colleagues from around the world are defining, measuring and improving the quality and safety of care today.
In addition to an exceptional team of plenary speakers and session leaders, over 200 authors from 40 countries have been selected to present brief paper or poster sessions. These are being grouped in program tracks. In this way, it will be possible for delegates to hear national and world leaders in a patient safety track over three days, or to work through performance measures issues, or alternatively to chart their own course of stimulating sessions across these and several other tracks.
ISQua in London is being strongly supported by The Healthcare Commission, the health watchdog in England and Wales. The Commission is also coordinating a program of sessions within the main program which will explore performance assessment.
Delegates can also take advantage of the special four day registration package to attend the ISQua 2006 Accreditation Symposium or Indicators/Measures Summit which will each be held at the Royal College of Surgeons on Sunday 22 October.
All program details can be found on ISQua’s website at http://www.isqua.org/isquaPages/london06.html.
Program details are also being regularly updated and full session outlines are to be posted shortly and will be extended as the weeks go by through to the London Conference dates.
The site includes links to hotel reservation arrangements and booking details for a range of tours for visitors.
EARLY REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 13 SEPTEMBER
A registration form is available on ISQua’s website and provides a reduced registration fee for ISQua members and others who register up until the early-bird deadline of 13 September. Online registration for credit card payments will also be available shortly.
October
Regional Conference on Cost-effective Healthcare 2006: Health Systems
Location: Singapore
Dates: 28-31 October 2006
Organiser: SGH Postgraduate Medical Institute
http://www.cehealth2006.com/
Registration
Early Registration: 31 Aug 2006
Closing Date for Registration: 15 September 2006
Cancellation Policy
Request for cancellation / replacement must be made in writing to the Conference Secretariat.
On and before 30 September 2006: 75% refund of registration fee
After 30 September 2006: No refund
All refunds will be made after the Conference.
Session Topics
- Complexity of Health Systems
- Regulatory Aspects of Health Insurance
- Pre-funding of Healthcare Expenses: The German Private Health Insurance Model
- Development of Health Insurance in Singapore
- Design of Health Insurance Plans
- Insight into Cost Quality Relationships
- Cost-effectiveness of Breast Cancer Screening
- Increasing Cost-efficiencies with Ambulatory Surgery
- Value of Recombinant Factor VIIa in Trauma Patients
- Supplier-induced Demand in Medicine — Size of the Problem
- Pricing Reimbursement and Health Outcomes
- Getting the Community Involved in Priority Setting
Pre-conference Events
- Nursing Economics Workshop — “Use of Economic Tools in Quality Management”
- Workshop — “Early Insulin Initiation in Diabetes”
Message from Organising Chairman
Our decision to bring back this forum was triggered by the enthusiasm of the delegates our first Regional Conference on Cost-effective Healthcare 2004. As the previous format was successful, we decided to run this second event along similar lines. The title “Cost-effective Healthcare” has been retained as our conference name, but we have in addition chosen “Health Systems” as the theme for this second event.
There are reasons for this choice. Maturation in national health systems has been a major contribution to improved health status in developing countries in recent decades. Alongside the economic and social development of these countries has been the impact of cross-national influences and globalization. In many countries today, policy makers are under pressure to improve their health systems in one way or another. Increasingly, patients are demanding healthcare that meets their needs and preferences, but the problem of responding to them policy-wise is that it increases cost pressure at a time of climbing health expenditure. Shortfalls in healthcare quality are also a consideration. They result in unnecessary morbidity and mortality and add to costs. Furthermore, disparities in health and healthcare access across income and other population groups is still persistent in many countries today.
Increased health spending is not necessarily a problem when the added benefits exceed the extra costs. Undeniably, the new drugs, devices and procedures that are responsible for much of the cost growth have also been responsible for better health and reduced disability. But, when the bulk of the health spending is publicly financed, rising costs will increase the pressure on government to contain costs or to divert resources from other priorities. Health systems are complex entities. Although co-payments have been used to relieve public financing systems, they are no magic bullets. Vulnerable populations need to be protected to avoid restrictions on access that could be costly in the long run. While the introduction of private health insurance can increase consumer choice and the responsiveness of health systems, it helps little to decrease public spending. State interventions in the form of regulation and subsidies are critical if equity of access is to be assured.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Countries have their own unique circumstances, but they all share common goals of accessible health care of high quality, and health systems that are responsive, affordable and good value for money.
Once again, we shall have much to learn from each other’s experiences in this forum.
Dr Peter Mack
Organising Chairman, Scientific Committee
Regional Conference on Cost-effective Healthcare 2006
Speakers (to date)
International
- Dr Nik Rosnah Wan Abdullah, International Institute for Public Policy and Management, University of Malaya, Malaysia
- Mr Peter Davey, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Asia Pacific Japan, M-TAG (A division of IMS Health), Australia
- Mr Manolis Karamalis, Novo Nordisk International Operations, Switzerland
- Dr Gavin Mooney, Social and Public Health Economics Research Group, Curtin University, Australia
- Dr Glenn Salkeld, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia
- Dr Eugene Salole, Guidant, Australia
- Dr Miguel A Valentin, Boston Scientific Corporation, USA
Local
- Ms Phyllis Chan, NMG Risk Managers & Actuaries, Singapore
- Dr Chan Yew Weng, Department of Anaesthesia & Surgical Intensive Care, Singapore General Hospital
- Mr Thomas Chua Kian Lye, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore
- Dr Kenneth Leong, Planning & Development Division Ministry of Health, Singapore
- Dr Li Shu Chuen, Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore
- Ms Genedine Lim, Health Regulation Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore
- Dr Phua Kai Hong, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
- Mr Andres Webersinke, Cologne Reinsurance Company, Singapore
- Dr Yong Wei Sean, National Cancer Centre, Singapore Scientific Committee
Organising Chairman
- Dr Peter Mack, Department of General Surgery & SGH Postgraduate Medical Institute, Singapore General Hospital
Scientific Chairman
- Dr Phua Kai Hong, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
Committee Members
- Dr Vincent Chong, Department of Radiology, National University Hospital
- Ms Geraldine Koh, Department of Pharmacy, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore
- Dr Li Shu Chuen, Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore
- Ms Genedine Lim, Health Regulation Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore
- Dr Lim Shih Hui, Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute
- Dr Julian Thumboo, Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Singapore General Hospital
Call for Abstracts: Delegates are invited to submit their abstract(s) for consideration for oral presentation.
Organising Secretariat
SGH Postgraduate Medical Institute, Singapore General Hospital
Block 6 Level 1, Outram Road, Singapore 169608
Tel: 65 6321 4491, Fax: 65 6223 9789,
Email: cehealth@sgh.com.sg
Contact: Ms Pam Wong