Medical professionals from Cayman’s three hospitals, the wider healthcare community and overseas medical institutions as well as government officials will speak at the upcoming Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference on a variety of topics related to enhancing the doctor-patient relationship. The conference takes place from Thursday, 26 October to Saturday, 28 October at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, and is free for the public to attend as a result of sponsorship. However, attendees must pre-register.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Bridging the Gap Between Patient and Practitioner: Pathways to Optimal Health”. Topics such as “Public Health Challenges in the Cayman Islands”; “Mental Health in the Workplace”; “Healing and Pastoral Care: The Divine Nexus”; and “Prevention of Disease with Proactive Care” will be presented and discussed. In addition, there will be two doctor-led panel discussions – one by Cayman Medical on the subject of team-based holistic healthcare and the other on how Cayman navigates personal health from Caymanian, local and expat perspectives presented by a team from Doctors Hospital and Integra Healthcare.
Dr. Otto Metzger, Associate Medical Director of International Strategic Initiatives at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School will be speaking on the topic of integrative therapies for obesity and breast cancer. Dr. Metzger is expected to demonstrate how therapies which focus on the whole person, are informed by evidence and make use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare and disciplines can reduce the side effects of breast cancer treatment. These integrative therapies are characterised as almost any kind of cancer treatment that is not a drug, surgery or radiation and include activities such as acupuncture, massage, yoga/tai chi, meditation, music/art therapy and special diets.
He will also review the observational data linking obesity and related factors to breast cancer risks and outcomes, discuss ongoing studies that will further define the role of lifestyle and obesity management in cancer prevention and control and look at the emerging data regarding weight loss medications and cancer.
Dr. Annette Stephenson, Board Certified Doctor of Audiology and Founder of Cayman Hearing Centre, will be giving attendees a glimpse into the world of wearable devices and artificial intelligence (AI) and how those technologies are revolutionising audiology.
“Even though AI has been around for a while, it’s become a buzzword lately. There is a lot of misconception around the technology, especially as it relates to privacy. I’m hoping to help dispel some myths which will allow patients and doctors to feel more comfortable incorporating AI in their personal healthcare and in the care of their patients respectively,” said Dr. Stephenson. “I want attendees to walk away with a better understanding of what wearable devices are, how they can incorporate them into their healthcare and how AI is allowing practitioners to provide a holistic approach to managing their patients. We’ll also go into a deep dive of how AI has improved the performance of hearing aids and facilitated better hearing healthcare.”
Dr. Vinton Douglas, Director of Corporate Services at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA), will be talking about the health benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) which he says are not limited to just the treatment of decompression sickness in divers.
“The health benefits of HBOT are based on its pharmacological effects which include the provision of very high concentration of oxygen under pressure (hyperoxygenation); the narrowing of the walls of blood vessels that are leaking (vasoconstriction); the formation of new vessels in depleted areas, for instance, after cancer treatment (neovascularisation); and altering the functions of cells, allowing them to be more capable of fighting infections,” said Dr. Douglas.
“I plan to show how HBOT has been proven to provide significant benefits as a therapy used in conjunction with traditional medical treatment and helps to bridge the gap between healthcare providers and patients. In addition, HBOT has been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity in the 14 approved conditions as specified by the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Committee which include decompression sickness, crush injuries, carbon monoxide poisoning, severe anaemia, acute thermal burns and sudden deafness.”
The 14th annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference is hosted by Ministry of Health and Wellness and sponsored by Health City Cayman Islands, Doctors Hospital/Integra Healthcare, Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, Kelly Holding Events & Communications, Compass Media, 3T MRI, Ironshore Pharmaceuticals, Dart, Aetna, Infinite Mindcare, Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, Public Health, KPMG, CINICO, Healthy Futures, The Wellness Centre and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
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canadian pharcharmy
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