Michael Johnson

The 84th AOA Annual Scientific Meeting: ‘Making data the solution’   

In an era driven by technology and innovation, harnessing the power of data has become paramount in advancing orthopaedic medicine and improving patient outcomes.

The increasing size of databases and the ubiquity of the internet and digital devices is transforming the ease with which digital health information can be collected. Added to this, the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence, data linkage and predictive analytics will greatly expand the ways this data is used. On top of these changes are the demographic challenges of delivering healthcare to an ageing population.

The combination of these and other factors will mean that the greater use and manipulation of data in future healthcare is inevitable.

These changes will be innumerable, ranging from intelligent machines – which will likely replace note taking and letter writing, suggest appropriate diagnoses and assist management – to the routine collection of outcome measures. Meanwhile, the battle over what constitutes low-value care will take on new dimensions.

How these changes manifest, who owns the data and who controls the algorithms will be some of the ethical issues of the future.

There are so many nuances to the discussion of the use of data in healthcare that we have had to make some decisions about content. The focused program of plenaries and discussions that has resulted will feature a stimulating selection of speakers about an area that is going to have an ever-increasing impact on medical and surgical practice.

Together, let us make data the solution and explore the transformative power of data in orthopaedic healthcare.

I look forward to seeing you in Brisbane.