The II Health and ICT 2026 Conference, jointly organized by the Camp de Tarragona Health Region, the Terres de l'Ebre Health Region, the Directorate of Information Systems of the Catalan Health Service, and the TIC Salut i Social Foundation, aims to establish Southern Catalonia as a benchmark for digital health. The event will focus on technological innovation that respects bioethical principles and human dignity.
Beyond technological advancements, the conference will foster reflection on the digital transformation model needed for the healthcare system, placing people at its core. It will advocate for artificial intelligence that upholds bioethical principles, patient rights, and human dignity, promoting responsible innovation that enhances healthcare without compromising core care values or the indispensable role of health professionals.
The conference will feature an international perspective with experts from the United States and Europe. The first session (9:00 AM - 10:30 AM) will address the state of artificial intelligence in these regions, with participation from Dr. William La Cava and Bart de Witte, exploring challenges in bioethics, regulation, and governance.
Following this (10:30 AM - 11:30 AM), the focus will shift to the situation in Spain and Catalonia, with contributions from Pilar Otermín, deputy director of the Catalan Health Service, and Noemí Cívicos, Director General of Digital Health for the National Health System at the Ministry of Health, to outline administrative strategies.
The event will blend reflection with practical experiences. After a Networking Brunch (11:30 AM - 12:30 PM) to facilitate collaborations, Catalan AI initiatives in healthcare will be presented (12:30 PM - 1:30 PM), followed by a session exploring AI's contributions to the business sector of healthcare (1:30 PM - 2:30 PM).
Marta Milà, manager of the Camp de Tarragona Health Region, emphasized the goal of imprinting the conference with a vision of artificial intelligence "at the service of health, with people at the center and ethics as the guiding principle."
