Thought Leadership Institute Program Focuses on Growing Interface of Medicine and Artificial Intelligence

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC) is pleased to announce that the first program of its groundbreaking Thought Leadership Institute, Professional Intelligence: Medicine, Machines, and the Future of Healthcare, is achieving its initial goal of effectuating in-depth discussions by recognized experts to develop a broad understanding of this growing interface and an approach to managing this transformative process.

AAHC, a global leader on issues impacting academic health centers and their tri-partite missions, with the support of Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical, and medical information products and services, together launched this first program offering of the AAHC Thought Leadership Institute in April 2016. The Institute was created by AAHC to provide an innovative platform and forum for provocative and inspiring thought leaders from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and sectors to identify transformative ideas and discuss their applications in 21st century healthcare.

"With advances in science and technology, medicine and machines are increasingly becoming partners in the care of patients," said Steven A. Wartman, MD, PhD, AAHC president and CEO. "This critical disruption in healthcare delivery presents a powerful subject area to be undertaken by the AAHC Thought Leadership Institute, which is bringing together a wide array of perspectives on this thought-provoking topic with the goal of informing both practice and policy." The first engagement of thought leaders in the field was held in Chicago earlier this month, and a provocative panel of highly-respected health leaders will continue the discussion at AAHC's Annual Meeting in San Diego this September, deliberating the topic "Must a Physician be Human?".

"We fully expect this program to build consensus and help leverage the interface between artificially intelligent machines and humans for the betterment of 21st century health and well-being," said Wartman, adding "health leaders, care providers, patients, and entrepreneurs must face the challenges of how the boundary between medicine and machines will be managed."

AAHC is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing health and well-being through the vigorous leadership of academic health centers.