Good things come to those who wait. And wait we did…two years in fact thanks to the pandemic…but we think it was worth it! We were finally able to go ahead with our GP Education Conference earlier this month on a beautiful weekend in Noosa.

Over two days, more than 50 GPs joined the Briz Brain & Spine team, guest presenters and sponsors to learn about the “future of brain and spine care” which particularly focused on how big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will impact on the practice of medicine in the future. The program commenced with a keynote address from Dr Stefan Hajkowicz, a principal scientist from CSIRO working in the area of strategic foresight, an internationally renowned expert who spoke about global megatrends and the importance of AI in the post-pandemic world. This presentation certainly set the scene for the weekend and got the audience talking.

A panel discussion on the ethics of using AI and ML in patient care followed and featured experts in the use of these technologies including Dr Brent Richards, Medical Director at the Gold Coast Hospital; Prof Liz Kenny, Senior Radiation Oncologist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital; and Dr David Hansen, CEO of the Australian e-Health Research Centre.

Dr Robyn Stokes, CEO of Bionics Queensland spoke about the opportunities for innovation in medical bionics and the development of technologies that can make the lives of patients living with functional disability, a little easier. Bionics eyes, ears and limbs that interact with the brain are just some of areas in which work is progressing well.

The program also featured several clinical sessions from a variety of specialists focussing on pain, robotic surgery, motion preservation, acoustic neuromas, gait disorders, endoscopic spine surgery and deep brain stimulation. Presentations on the use of augmented reality and computing in healthcare rounded out the program, giving it a distinct futuristic atmosphere. We are very grateful to all of our speakers for their contributions. Finally, these types of events are not possible without the support of our sponsors and we thank them for taking the time to attend the event and network with attendees and speakers alike.

Planning is already underway for next year’s GP Education Conference and we look forward to assisting GPs to meet their education needs in the future.