At this year's EHiN conference, we brought our chess boards and ideas concerning artificial intelligence. The conference gave room for both professional and social interactions with interesting discussions about the future of the Norwegian health sector.
For many, November is a grey and dark month that you just have to get through. For everyone who is interested in e-health and the modernisation of the healthcare system, however, November means that it is time for the EHiN conference where public and private actors meet to discuss the future of Norwegian healthcare.
This year we were EHiN gold partners, and together with our sister companies DIPS and Aidn we formed the Kernel quarter. There, visitors could come and have a chat about everything from AI and health technology to chess. In addition, the very popular bicycle barista the trio of companies had hired served hot and fragrant coffee.
– What do you mean by «Math for good»?
That was one of the questions that was recurring at our stand.
– For me, it's about using my experience and expertise to build products and services that benefit the healthcare sector, says Arvind Chawla, Data Scientist at Deepinsight.
Artificial intelligence has a place in healthcare
A consistent theme at EHiN was that the health sector must achieve more with limited funds. Several social problems are on the horizon, and new technology will be an important part of the solution.
The increasing age of the general population, combined with the lack of professionals and increased costs, are just some of the challenges that lead to a shortage of resources in the healthcare system. At EHiN, several actors pointed to artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the solution.
We also want to focus on that in Deepinsight. Our CEO Olav Willumsen Haugå gave a lecture on the status of the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare today - both in Norway and abroad. How mature is the technology? And can Norway learn from other countries?
Prioritising AI solutions for hospital logistics
Olav talked about the ongoing KNIPS project, where we are developing a new solution for smart operation planning at Nordlandssykehuset in collaboration with DIPS. The project proves that cooperation between the private and public sector can lead to great AI solutions. An important success factor is the emphasis on solving logistics challenges in healthcare, Olav said.
Olav's lecture was well attended and led to several interesting conversations afterwards. It was clear that our understanding of administrative health data and operational challenges in hospitals struck a chord with the industry.
Future healthcare is discussed over a game of chess
As five o’clock approached the first day of EHiN, we invited people for mingling, snacks and something to drink at the Kernel quarter. A good group of people turned up, and we had a few hours of good conversations about the health sector – as well as plans for the Christmas holidays.
Afterwards, it was time for the three-course conference dinner. Despite being delicious, it is not the food that remains our best memory from the evening at EHiN. But rather when, in true Deepinsight style, we pulled out the chessboard and challenged each other and other participants to a game.
The spontaneous chess tournament created great enthusiasm, and while the pieces moved elegantly across the chessboard, several interesting conversations arose about health, technology and AI.
The Deeps all agreed that this year's EHiN was a success. Both the professional and social aspects lived up to our expectations, and we are already looking forward to next year's conference and to follow the coming developments of the industry. The health sector undoubtedly has an exciting future.