In just three short years, the mHealth Summit has grown into the largest mobile health event in the United States. Tagged by industry as the “the global convener of the mHealth ecosystem,” the event continues to attract leaders from across key sectors of government, industry, academia, providers, technology innovation, not-for-profit organizations, and the private sector. The event has remained firm in its goal of advancing collaboration in the use of wireless technologies to improve health outcomes across the globe and is a testament to the convening power of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH).
 
The FNIH is again hosting the event this year in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the mHealth Alliance, and new organizing partner, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The Summit takes place December 5-7, 2011, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside of Washington, D.C. This year’s theme is “Shaping the Future of Mobile Health” and will be explored through a cross-sectoral lens that focuses on the critical areas of Technology, Research, Policy, Business, and mFinance.
 
This year marks increased interest for the event, with early registrations at an all-time high. There are new exhibitors and sponsors, as well as an impressive list of strategic affiliates for 2011: CDC Foundation, Center for Connected Health, Continua Health Alliance, Edelman (a New York public relations firm), GBCHealth, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, Pan American Health Organization, mHealth Regulatory Coalition, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Pioneer, The Rockefeller Foundation, United Nations Foundation, Gary & Mary West Wireless Health Institute, and Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance.
 
The explosive growth of this extraordinary Summit, as well as the need for space to facilitate networking opportunities, necessitated the move to the Gaylord. The larger venue will provide 30,000 square feet of exhibit space, which will include a Qualcomm Pavilion, a Startup Pavilion featuring 40 startup companies (under the auspices of Blueprint Health, Rock Health, and Startup Health), and a new NIH Pavilion being developed to offer maximal exposure and networking opportunities for the agency. Significant increases in attendance are expected, with between 3,500 and 4,500 representatives from 50 countries projected to participate.
 
Verizon Wireless will return for a second year as the partnering sponsor and will be joined by other sponsoring companies: Abbott Laboratories, AT&T, Battelle Memorial Institute, CTIS, Inc., Intel Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, McKesson Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Qualcomm, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and UnitedHealth Group.
 
Moving away from the 2010 conference program model, which was dominated by super sessions, this year’s expanded program will offer 8 keynote addresses, 4 super sessions, and 60 concurrent sessions across 12 tracks. The overall program will be aligned to the five key topic areas of the event: Technology, Research, Policy, Business, and mFinance. The program will prominently feature 15 research sessions organized under 3 tracks, which are being developed by the NIH, in the areas of Wellness and Prevention, Diagnostics and Assessment, and Acute and Chronic Disease Management.
 
The speaker lineup is well under way, with Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Qualcomm; Mr. John Stratton, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Verizon Wireless; Ms. Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Operations, Apollo Hospitals Group; and Dr. Eric J. Topol, Vice Chairman, Gary & Mary West Wireless Health Institute confirmed as keynote speakers. Many more visionary keynote speakers, moderators, and panelists will soon be announced and will showcase NIH leadership throughout the event.
This year, the Summit will feature several co-located events including the M-Enabling Summit focused on mobile and wireless technologies for seniors and persons with disabilities. This event is being produced in conjunction with G3ict (Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies), Federal Communications Commission, and International
Telecommunication Union and will attract several hundred international attendees.
 
In conjunction with the 2011 mHealth Summit, the NIH Mobile Health (mHealth) Winter Institute, hosted by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, NIH Office of the Director, and many other NIH Institutes and Centers and Federal partners, will take place on December 5-9, 2011, at the Gaylord and has been made possible in part by support from the FNIH.
 
Attendees at the 2011 Summit will be joining the premier international forum for dialogue, world-class thought leadership, visionary keynotes, and action-provoking panel discussions on mHealth. The Summit will build on previous successes with its robust and comprehensive program agenda, focusing on the technology, research, business, and policy perspectives of mHealth, and will aid in identifying and accelerating sustainable mHealth solutions. 

Originally posted in the NIH Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program Newsletter, Fall 2011

For more information about the 2011 mHealth Summit please visit www.mhealthsummit.org

Photos of the 2011 mHealth Summit at National Harbor, MD.

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