Digital technology is now being used in all areas of healthcare, from research, to the doctor’s office, to the operating room and beyond. With huge volumes of data being generated as a product and function of this digitisation, the potential for better use of Big Data to drive research, innovation and efficiencies in health, care and the life sciences is vast. Improvements in predictions of patient outcomes, operational efficiencies through better allocation of resources, more tailored interventions - the list goes on.

However, with already great sources of inequity in existing health systems, concerted efforts must be made to ensure that existing inequalities are not worsened, and that new sources of inequity are not introduced through this digitisation. Data science, when appropriately developed and deployed, has the potential to target inequities and reduce disparities. But this is unlikely to occur without explicit efforts and attention directed towards issues of quality, bias, transparency and fairness.

Join the Data Science for Health Equity (DSxHE - pronounced “dishy”) community for our launch event where we’ll brainstorm, debate and discuss what data science can *really* do for health equity. This event is being run as a hybrid event (London + virtual) with opportunities to meet wonderful members of the DSxHE community in-person and online.

Draft Agenda (we’ll be refining this a little)

• 4.45pm: Arrivals
• 5.15pm: Introduction to the Data Science for Health Equity Community (Maxine Mackintosh & Brieuc Lehmann, DSxHE)
• 5.25pm: Challenge Jam!

- Introductions and challenges from some of our best and brightest in data science and health equity (line up to be announced soon!)

- Challenge jam between attendees

- Share-back from teams

- Panel response and discussion

• 7pm: Talk from Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology at University College London, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity
• 7:15: Q&A and Pass-the-mic
• 7.30-9pm: Drinks & nibbles

If for any reason you’d like to attend this event but it is inaccessible, we’re pleased to have partnered with One HealthTech to make use of their Accessibility Fund where you can apply for funds to attend. These funds can be used to cover everything from childcare, to transport, to loss of earnings, to live-captioning at the event.

Also huge thanks to the delightful people at Genomics England and the Alan Turing Institute who have partnered up with us to support our launch!