ATS 2016, SAN FRANCISCO ─ “Empowering patients with technology” is the focus of the 10th annual patient/family meet-the-experts forum at the American Thoracic Society 2016 International Conference.
This free public advisory roundtable offers pre-registered individuals the opportunity to hear from and chat with experts on a range of health topics, including pulmonary hypertension, asthma and allergy, sarcoidosis, scleroderma, pulmonary fibrosis, rare lung diseases, children’s ILD and Alpha-1/COPD. Participants also will hear presentations on the latest in patient-health technology, such as how social media can be used as a tool in smoking cessation, how to separate the good information from the bad when using the Internet to find medical answers, how telecommunications can be used to manage lung disease in rural areas and more.
“With this program, our goal is not only to inform, but also help patients and their families understand their health care options when facing pulmonary or respiratory issues,” said Courtney White, director, patient and tobacco control, ATS. “By bringing them face-to-face with experts in those fields, and connecting them to tools and resources that can assist them in their journey to health, we’re paving the way for them to make better, more informed decisions.”
For the past 10 years, the ATS has offered this program to the public in conjunction with its International Conference. Themes are selected by the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR), and center on a current issue, or one that broadly affects lung and airway disease patients across the wide spectrum of respiratory diseases. Speakers and topics are identified by PAR and ATS members who have expertise in the overall theme area.
