The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 2024 Annual Symposium, held November 9-13 in San Francisco, brought together thousands of leaders, researchers, and professionals in the biomedical and health informatics space to explore current and future topics in the field. The 2024 theme was “Informatics in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence,” and the event highlighted profound ways AI is shaping health care and biomedicine.
This year’s theme demonstrated how the community is embracing both the opportunities and challenges posed by AI technologies. Innovative applications like AI-driven predictive analytics and natural language processing are shaping the patient experience. Informatics professionals have a unique role in fostering advancements that prioritize equity, accessibility, and quality care.
The symposium opened with a keynote address by Michael Kearns, Ph.D., National Center Chair and professor in the Computer and Information Science Department at the University of Pennsylvania. His talk was titled, “Ethical Algorithm Design.”
Throughout the conference, sessions tackled critical advancements in the field. Panels, breakout sessions, and meetings discussed a range of topics on ethics, implementing AI-driven tools in clinical workflows, maintaining transparency and trust, and global health informatics. Several sessions discussed the importance of designing equitable systems that bridge gaps across many populations and geographies, highlighting efforts to use informatics to improve access to care in multiple global regions.
James Cimino, M.D., distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, delivered the closing keynote, “Biomedical Informatics Year in Review.” His presentation provided a comprehensive overview of key research and innovations in informatics over the past year, with a focus on predictive clinical systems, advancements in electronic health records (EHR), and natural language processing models. He presented with a panel of eight AMIA student volunteers. The presentation summarized 82 papers considered significant publications over the past year by the AMIA Working Groups.
“I was honored to present as the closing keynote and discuss the many important developments in the field of biomedical informatics and data science,” Cimino said. “The talk emphasized the dynamic web of informatics and its many intersections with science, medicine, and health care. It’s clear that informatics has a vital role in making health care more equitable and accessible.”
As always, the AMIA Symposium offered a platform for knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Attendees left excited to continue advancing the field of biomedical informatics, using the tools of tomorrow to create a more equitable and innovative future in health care.