NPUC 2007: The Healthcare Interface

Each summer the IBM Almaden Research Center's USER lab hosts a one-day special event for the UI / HCI / user experience community, the New Paradigms in User Computing (NPUC) workshop. We invite the people who have the talent, the skills and the insights on how humans and computing intersect.

The fifteenth annual NPUC will take place on Monday, July 9th. As usual, it will be held at in the IBM Almaden Research Center's auditorium with lunch and an afternoon post-event reception provided. As always, our guest speakers will be the best & and brightest on the leading edge of human interaction technology.

This year we ask how new paradigms for using computing can help us with healthcare. Astounding scientific advances in the 20th century have transformed medicine from folk art into a knowledge-driven, high tech industry. From using sensors and tests for diagnosis to new drugs, machines and surgeries for treatment, in addition to better organization and specialization for increased efficiencies, modern healthcare provides an unprecedented product -- longer and healthier lives. It is something that touches each of us daily.

And yet we sense that modern healthcare staggers under the weight of its own success. Today's healthcare professionals must handle vast amounts of data, knowledge, and treatment options. Their work and our care is complicated by billing and insurance. For the most part healthcare still relies on decades old paper and telephone-based communications and collaboration. Healthcare consumers are more engaged and have more options than ever before, but this also means they face puzzling choices and confusing bills. We believe it is time for advances in the healthcare interface to improve the experience for professionals and consumers alike.

Monday, July 9th, 2007 -- NPUC
IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA
Start: 8:30 AM End: 7:00 PM

Come join us for a day of the usual great talks, great demos, and great networking with your colleagues.