The fifth International Workshop on Enterprise Networking and Computing in Healthcare Industry is a forum that brings together clinicians, hospital administrators, software developers, researchers, educators, healthcare system vendors, and consultants to discuss the recent trends and emerging issues in the development and integration of healthcare systems based on networked computing infrastructure, such as the Internet. Healthcom was successfully held in Sydney, Australia in 1999 and 2000, L'Aquila, Italy in 2001 and Nancy, France in 2002.

Impact of Enterprise Networking and Computing on Healthcare Practice

Principles of enterprise networking and computing are the technology "centerpiece" in today's practice and delivery of modern healthcare. With newer advancements in the IT world and the growing trends in consumer enthusiasm for 'virtual' information pedagogy, we have continually seen the emergence of a whole gamut of new enabling technologies. Healthcare has become one of the major disciplines to have gained enormous interest from these developments, as we had originally speculated during the creation phase of the National Information Infrastructure a decade ago. As we move forward, the continually evolving progress makes it critical that our next generation healthcare professionals as well as our consumer community are adequately trained to embrace the integration and appropriate utilization of technologies in their disciplines as well as disease management. 'Web' has come to serve as an 'everyday' platform for the 'life long learning' protocols that we had charted out as part of our NII goals a decade ago. The explosive growth in information engineering also carries with it, its own baggage in the form of information security or lack thereof, cyber terrorism, connectivity deficiencies, digital divide barriers and a number of other conundrums affecting the quality of care, disease management and diagnostic medicine. Especially in rural underserved areas whether in US or elsewhere, healthcare services are often less than minimal both in numbers and in quality.

HealthCom Goals in 2003

Consistent with its founding principles, HealthCom conference envisions its role to bring across to the audience, state-of-the-art enterprise networking and computing innovations in healthcare industry. The theme for 2003 will focus on 3 major application tracks and the technology forces that drive these verticals.

• Telehealth and Telebiosciences
• Education and Training of Medical and Healthcare Professionals
• Barriers and Bottlenecks in Healthcare Delivery

In addition to the 3 focus areas, the conference will feature a Special Session on Future Technologies. The 2003 theme for the special session will be Beyond 3G (B3G): Mobile Communications and Networking Systems for Health.

Important Dates

• Manuscript Submission: March 1, 2003 (Extended to March 24, 2003)
• Acceptance Notification: April 15, 2003
• Final Manuscript due: April 26, 2003
• Early Bird Registration: May 1, 2003 (Extended to May 15, 2003).
• Conference dates: June 6-7, 2003.