Synopsis

Emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, blockchain, mobile apps, social media, social robots, virtual reality) continue to play an integral role in the provision of healthcare spanning fields such as digital health, mHealth, telemedicine, telecare and telehealth.  International institutions, like the European Commission and World Health Organization, have steadfastly promoted the use of technologies to transform the healthcare sector and to facilitate cross-border services. Healthcare technologies are useful in providing direct access to healthcare and in facilitating and supporting healthcare-related functions. Examples include medical data storage (electronic health or medical records, cloud computing), data sharing (locally, nationally, and across borders), data analytics, and access to healthcare services.  Policy makers and businesses continue to seek ways to use healthcare technologies to provide benefits to stakeholders including patients, healthcare professionals, clinics and hospitals, governments, research initiatives, and business ventures. These and other developments in healthcare technologies bring challenges that raise questions spanning legal, ethical, social, and governance concerns, particularly for the scale-up and implementation of health IT.

Themes covered

Workshop topics include legal, ethical, social and governance challenges regarding the following below.

Artificial intelligence (machine learning) and data science in healthcare	International issues, including regulatory harmonisation and best practices
Advances in digital health, mHealth, telemedicine, telecare and telehealth	Internet pharmacies and online medical services
Blockchain technologies in healthcare	Liability
Bioinformatics, biorepositories	Mobile health apps
Capacity-building and workforce skills/training.	Patients’ rights
Data privacy, protection, security, and integrity and governance	Personal health records
Decision support systems and prognostic scoring systems	Public health informatics and policy analysis/decision-making
Disabilities and technology, health informatics, and informatics use throughout the life-course	Privacy and confidentiality in healthcare
Electronic health records or electronic medical records	Remote presence healthcare and medical use in homes
Electronic prescribing	Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
Green/environmental aspects of healthcare IT.	Robots, including social robots, and digital or virtual companions
Government regulation of health informatics tools	Social networking and healthcare
Health data (secondary use of data)	Software engineering and coding
Health disparities, health inequities, digital divides	Threats to healthcare IT infrastructure  (e.g. cyber security, network security)
Informed consent	Virtual reality in healthcare
Interoperability (technical, semantic, organisational, legal) and infrastructure	Visual analytics in healthcare

Call for Short Papers & PhD research posters

SHORT POSITION PAPERS
Short position papers (with a maximum of 1,500 words) on any of the  topics listed above are welcomed (references not counted in word count). The papers can and should relate particularly to research currently being undertaken and applications either being developed or more specifically deployed in a variety of jurisdictions: e.g., Africa, Canada, European Member States, the Middle East, South America, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and beyond. After the workshop, authors will be invited to develop their position papers into full papers for publication in a journal or edited book. 

Paper format and submission
*Participants should use the Springer Word Temple (available here).
*Submissions should be sent to:  c.george[at]mdx.ac.uk by Monday 24th March 2025.

POSTERS (PhD research)
We are delighted to announce our 2025 PhD Research Poster Competition. This competition is open to PhD students conducting research in an area reflecting one of the topics of the workshop. Posters should be designed to communicate PhD research work in a clear and eye-catching way, and they should appeal to colleagues as well as non-specialists. They should be easy to read and understand; stimulate interest and discussion; have clear aims and results/conclusions; and demonstrate impact relating to healthcare.

Selection Criteria
All poster submissions will undergo committee review to ensure a high standard of contributions. Submissions will be reviewed based on:
* Relevance to the workshop’s stated topic and aims;
* Academic excellence and innovation;
* Demonstration of impact on the healthcare sector.

Awards
Posters will be displayed during the workshop and a Best Poster Award will be presented during the workshop's closing session, recognising outstanding research and presentation quality. A £100 Amazon eGift voucher will be awarded to the winner and a £50 Amazon eGift voucher to the runner up.

Format and submission
* Posters must be submitted electronically in PDF format in portrait orientation.
* We accept posters up to A0 size, smaller posters, for example A1 or A2 are also eligible.
* Entrants must ensure that any images used in their poster are not copyrighted, or that the correct permissions have been sought.
* You can use our poster template downloadable here. Alternative template designs containing similar information are acceptable.
* Submissions should be sent to:  c.george[at]mdx.ac.uk by Monday 24th March 2025.

Deadlines for short papers and posters
Submission of position paper or poster: Monday 24th March 2025.
Notification of acceptance of position paper or poster: Monday 21st April 2025.
Register for attendance: Monday 28th April 2025 (Registration Form).

Costs
The workshop is free for all participants and priority (due to space limitations) will be given to participants who submit a short paper or poster that has been accepted for presentation at the workshop. Participants are expected to fund their own transportation and accommodation costs. You will need to register your interest in attending the workshop via the Registration Form by Monday 28th April 2025, and await confirmation of acceptance.

Location
Middlesex University, Committee Room 1, Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs Hendon, NW4 4BT. See travel information below.

Time
Thursday: 26th June 2025,  12:30 - 5pm
Friday:  27th June 2025,  9:30am – 4pm

Programme
A preliminary workshop programme will be published by the end of April 2025 (after acceptance of position papers and posters).

Workshop Organisers/Committee

Dr Carlisle George: Associate Professor and Barrister (Middlesex University, London).

Ms. Diane Whitehouse: eHealth Consultant. Former Scientific Officer (European Commission’s DG CNECT on ageing, disability and health).

Dr Penny Duquenoy: Former Associate Professor (Middlesex University, London). Former Chair (British Computer Society’s ICT Ethics Specialist Group).

Prof Kenneth Goodman: Professor of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Founder and Director – Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy (University of Miami Ethics Programs). Director – Data Ethics and Society (Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami). Past chair of the Ethics Committee of AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association).

 
Accommodation in Hendon

Click here for a list of suitable hotels in Hendon, close to Middlesex University. Otherwise there are excellent public transport links to Middlesex University from all areas of London.

We are working with Middlesex University's accommodation team to see whether nearby student ensuite accommodation can be made available for rent to workshop participants on the night of Thursday 26th June 2026. This will be confirmed by April 2025.