By: Lillian Witting, MPH, CAPM

“If you don’t go to any other National Health Council (NHC) event, this is the one you don’t want to miss!” – 2024 Science of Patient Engagement Symposium Attendee  

Come see why the Science of Patient Engagement Symposium is a can’t miss event! On May 7 and 8, the NHC is proud to host the eighth annual Symposium exploring how patient engagement is evolving and contributing to science and medicine. This year’s theme, “Elevating Innovation – Medicine, MedTech and AI,” will focus on how patients and their perspectives can be integrated into the development of these technologies to benefit patient communities.  

Over the two days, there will be discussions on a variety of topics and all sessions will be moderated by patient advocates. You can find the complete schedule here, but some sessions you can’t miss out on include:  

• • Session 1: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Bridging the Gap Between MedTech and Patient Needs  
  • This session will look at how patients and caregivers can be engaged as equal partners in the development of MedTech 
  • Session 3: From Data to Diagnosis and Prediction: AI’s Greatest Hits 
  • Experts in the cardiology space will present case studies on how Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are currently being used in clinical and research settings 
  • Session 4: Are we speaking the same language? When Smart Records and Stronger Voices Amplify Patient Power  
  • Patient and pharmaceutical experts will look at the importance of patient data and how it can improve overall health outcomes 
  • Session 6: Chat, is this real patient engagement?  
  • Industry and academic leaders will discuss considerations of implementation and the future of automation in shaping research, care delivery, and health technology regulation 

This year will also feature an array of renowned speakers from patient advocates, caregivers, clinicians, academics, drug and device manufacturers, data scientists, AI experts, and more! Some highlighted speakers include:  

• • Nicholas Webb, Number One Best Selling Author & Chief Executive Officer, LeaderLogic, LLC. 
  • Brian Anderson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) 
  • Juan Carlos Espinoza Salomon, MD, Chief Research Informatics Officer, Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Lurie Children’s Hospital 
  • Raj Ratwani, PhD, Vice President of Scientific Affairs, MedStar Health Research Institute, Director, MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors in Healthcare, Professor, Georgetown University School of Medicine 
  • Christian Rubio, MBA, MA, Executive Director, EverythingALS 
  • Gina Assaf, Co-Founder, Patient-Led Research Collaborative  
  • Petrina Kamya, PhD, Head of AI Platforms and President, of Insilico Medicine Canada, Insilico Medicine 

The role of patients, caregivers, and their families is crucial in the development and implementation of health technology. The NHC is excited to continue discussion on these issues to elevate patient-centered care at the 2025 Science of Patient Engagement Symposium—we hope to see you there!  

Registration closes May 2, 2025. Register HERE.