Here’s an announcement for an exciting upcoming conference: Games for Health 2006 Third Annual Conference Covering Intersection of Games, Health and Healthcare – September 28-29, 2006 – Baltimore.
Here’s a description of the goal of the conference:
Summarizing the importance of the event, Ben Sawyer said, “Slowly but surely the last year has seen a growing appreciation for what modern day videogames can offer to healthcare. The combination of powerful technology, evolved interface design, and growing use among the next
wave of health care workers is creating a ripe environment for further growth in this field. What once seemed like an idea on the fringes is gaining impressive momentum and becoming a mainstream reality. Our goal each year with the Games for Health Conference is to move the space forward until the role games, game developers, and game technologies can play in something as critical as our own health is fully realized.”
This conference does sound interesting and exciting. Almost a year ago, in a series on disruptive technologies in health care, I posted an entry (Disruptive Technology #1: Video Games) wondering what role video games could have in transforming and improving our health care system. Looks like some people in the US are already started.
In addition to content sessions, Games for Health 2006 features on-site demos of the latest efforts in the field, poster sessions, and important meet-up opportunities for researchers, assessment experts and various government and non-government health initiatives. Critical networking time is woven throughout the conference agenda, and the meeting features an evening reception sponsored by Virtual Heroes. “The Games for Health conference is designed to strengthen the intersection between health care and gaming. We’re excited to see more and more innovators from the health and gaming arenas working together to make a real impact on people’s health everywhere,†said Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Games for Health Project. The Games for Health Project is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio, which funds innovative projects that may stimulate breakthrough change in health and health care.