PGIMER, Chandigarh: TELEMEDICON 2024, hosted by the Department of Telemedicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, in collaboration with the Telemedicine Society of India, Chandigarh Chapter, commenced on November 28, 2024. With the theme "Virtual Healthcare and the Role of AI," the conference has garnered attention from healthcare and technology experts across India.
Dr. Biman Saikia, chairperson, inaugurated the first session on AI in Healthcare. Renowned urologist Dr. Sunil Shroff delivered an enlightening talk on Intelligent medicine: how AI is shaping the future of healthcare, followed by Dr. Alok Modi, who discussed the ethical dimensions and challenges posed by AI in healthcare, and Dr. Kim R., who elaborated on AI applications in ophthalmology, especially in diabetic retinopathy.
A plenary session on the trajectory of telemedicine by Dr. Meenu Singh emphasized the rapid evolution of telemedicine, chaired by Dr. K. K. Talwar, Ex-Director, PGIMER, Chandigarh, and Dr. Prem Nair, Director, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences. Further sessions explored telemedicine in health promotion, prevention, and lifestyle management. Dr. Shriram V. Kulkarni from Mumbai shared insights into leveraging AI accessibility in underserved regions.
The Tele-Ophthalmology Society of India (TOSI) session included talks by Dr. T. Senthil on business models for tele-ophthalmology and innovative methods for early detection of diseases by Dr. B. N. R. Subudhi. The day also featured a session on telemedicine for elder care by Dr. Rajeev Agarwal and Dr. Thanga Prabhu. Parallel sessions on tele-dermatopathology and tele-yoga provided further depth, along with a dedicated workshop on AI readiness by Wadhwani AI.
The inaugural ceremony, held in the evening, was presided over by Shri Madhukar Kumar Bhagat, Joint Secretary, E-Health Section, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, with Prof. K. K. Talwar and Prof. R. K. Ratho, Dean of Academics, PGIMER, Chandigarh, as Guests of Honour.
The second day commenced with a workshop on setting up a virtual practice, and sessions addressing legal, ethical, and regulatory considerations in telemedicine, use of personal data in healthcare, data privacy and ethics in healthcare, and an assessment of Telemedicine Practice Guidelines (TPG) by Dr. Ashvini Goel.
A presidential oration by Dr. Kim R. and a session on tele-education and AR/VR in health education, highlighted the role of technology in medical learning. The plenary session on space medicine showcased presentations by Dr. D. K. Singh, Jayakumar Venkateshan and Dr. Murthy Remilla from ISRO, emphasizing importance of healthcare in space. Afternoon sessions focused on telemedicine’s impact on rural health and tele-palliative care.
In addition, telemedicine in childhood health, AI in medical devices and AI applications in emergency care were discussed. Many free papers and award-winning papers were presented by young professionals. This was followed by a panel discussion on tele-pathology unplugged – nextgen diagnostics & AI convergence, brought together by an expert panel. The concluding session, tele-technology in facilitating organ transplant featured utility of telemedicine in donor/recipient coordination. A special workshop on telemedicine & digital health for AYUSH doctors was chaired by Dr. Nipun Jindal, IAS., sharing his expertise.
The 20th International Conference of TSI, TELEMEDICON 2024, continues to serve as a collaborative platform for healthcare and IT professionals, emphasizing the transformative role of AI and telemedicine in global healthcare. The event will conclude on November 30, 2024.