Call for Papers: DMEA 2027

• AI in Routine Care & Clinical Scaling
• Generative, Agent-Based, and Robotic AI in Healthcare
• AI Act, Regulation, and Clinical Liability Issues
• Evidence, Outcomes, and Data Quality in Medical AI
• Business Models & Sustainability of AI in Healthcare

Session Description

Artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities for the healthcare sector and is already being successfully used in numerous pilot projects. The challenge now is to scale up this potential: Which solutions will make the leap into routine care, and what success factors are crucial for enabling sustainable implementation?

We are seeking best practices, scientific findings, and case studies that demonstrate how AI is already being successfully used in everyday clinical practice—ranging from ambient documentation to agent-based AI and robotic assistance systems. The focus also includes regulatory requirements such as the AI Act, evidence of effectiveness, funding issues, and strategies for engaging healthcare providers and staff in this process of change.

Submit your topic and join leading experts in a discussion on how promising pilot projects can be transformed into scalable, sustainable, and trustworthy AI solutions for the healthcare of tomorrow.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• Which AI applications are currently in productive use in standard German healthcare, and what are the outcomes?
• What distinguishes ambient, agent-based, and robotic AI in everyday work, and where do they offer real added value?
• How does the AI Act affect the market readiness of clinical AI?
• Which business models have proven to be viable for sustainably financing AI applications independently of project-based grants?
• Who is responsible when an AI makes an incorrect recommendation?
• How do we solve the problem of data bias in German healthcare data?

• Digital Sovereignty & Secure Health Care Infrastructures
• EUDI Wallet & Digital Identities
• Identity Management & Trusted Patient Data Rooms
• EHDS & GDNG – Implementation in the Real World of Healthcare
• Interoperability & Telematics Infrastructure (TI)

Session Description

EHDS and GDNG establish the regulatory framework for digital healthcare. This thematic focus centers on the practical implementation and interplay of data use, interoperability, and digital sovereignty. The emphasis is on approaches that create tangible added value for healthcare through unique identities, secure infrastructures, and trustworthy data flows.

We are seeking case studies and best practices that demonstrate how healthcare providers and patients are already benefiting from responsible data use. We are also focusing on strategies for building trust through technological sovereignty and IT security—particularly in the context of NIS2—in light of growing cyber risks.

We welcome submissions that illustrate how data flow, identity management, and IT security successfully work together to lay the foundation for a sustainable digital healthcare system.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• How does Germany compare to other European countries in terms of the EHDS?
• Which secondary use cases fail due to governance issues?
• How is interoperability ensured among the key components of digital healthcare—from GDNG and EHDS to ePA, EUDI Wallet, and TI?
• What exactly does digital sovereignty mean—data location, cloud control, code, or operations?
• How does NIS2 affect supplier obligations, recovery, and supply resilience in the event of a crisis?
• What attack vectors and methods will shape the threat landscape in 2026 and 2027?

• Cross-Sector Care & Integrated Care Pathways
• Digital Emergency and Primary Care (116117) as an Example of Application
• Interoperable IT architectures spanning outpatient, inpatient, long-term care, and rehabilitation services
• ePA & Digital Cross-Sector Communication
• Telemedicine, Hybrid DRG, and New Care Models

Session Description

Cross-sector care has been a central goal of the German healthcare system for years. But by 2027, it will no longer be just about visions—it will be about concrete solutions. The example of digital emergency and primary care (116117) makes it clear: In an acute medical emergency, citizens do not experience separate care sectors; they expect seamless care from a single source.

We are seeking real-world examples, innovative concepts, and scientific findings that demonstrate how outpatient care, hospitals, long-term care, and rehabilitation can be successfully integrated through digital solutions. Which digital structures, processes, and governance models create a seamless care pathway? What experiences have already been gained, and what challenges still need to be overcome?

Submit your topic and demonstrate how cross-sector care works in practice, with concrete solutions, transferable best practices, and ideas for the future of health care.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• How is emergency and primary care (116117, initial assessment, appointment scheduling) being digitized as a flagship case for cross-sector collaboration?
• Where will cross-sector collaboration be a reality by 2027 (hybrid DRG, medical care centers, intersectoral contracts)?
• Which IT architectures support the integration of outpatient, inpatient, long-term care, and rehabilitation services?
• What role will the ePA play in cross-sector communication in 2027?
• How are remote collaborations actually changing the boundaries between sectors?

• UX, Speech Recognition, and Intelligent Assistance Systems in Healthcare
• Controlling, Cost-Effectiveness, and Management of Digital Healthcare Processes
• Digitization of Healthcare Professions & Reducing Workload
• AI-Supported Care Documentation & Regulatory Framework
• Digital Adoption, Cultural Transformation, and Change Management in Healthcare

Session Description

Digitalization in healthcare is not determined solely by new technology, but rather by whether it actually improves the day-to-day work of healthcare professionals. Nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals face the greatest staffing challenges, yet they often have the fewest resources available for digital innovation. The key to success therefore lies not only in technology, but above all in user-centered design, high levels of acceptance, and effective change management.

We are seeking real-world examples, innovative concepts, and scientific findings that demonstrate how digital solutions can sustainably reduce the workload of healthcare professionals. The focus includes, among other things, user experience (UX), speech recognition, smart assistance systems, and digital tools, as well as strategies for cultural change, adoption, and change management. How can controllers, managers, and healthcare professionals work together to successfully shape digital transformation?

Submit your topic and show how digitalization is making a difference where it is most urgently needed: in the day-to-day work of healthcare professionals. We are looking for transferable best practices, innovative approaches, and concrete experiences that successfully shape this transformation and strengthen healthcare delivery in the long term.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• In what areas would nursing-focused digital health assistants (DiGAs) provide added value in care today?
• How do UX, speech recognition, and gadgets (wearables, point-of-care devices) demonstrably reduce the documentation burden on healthcare professionals?
• What determines the success of digital transformation—a cultural shift, leadership, or skilled workers? And how can we get people on board with this process?
• What will the collaboration between KIS, nursing documentation, and the Medical Service look like in 2027?
• What role do charitable organizations play as digital platforms?
• How is AI changing nursing documentation from an ethical and regulatory perspective?

• Patient-Centered Digital Healthcare & ePA
• User-Centered Innovation & Participation in Healthcare
• Digital Self-Efficacy & Health Literacy
• Patient Empowerment Through Digital Tools and Access to Data
• Digital Health Solutions in the Real World of Healthcare

Session Description

The benefits of digitalization in healthcare will only be realized once it reaches the people. Patients should not merely be recipients of digital services, but should be able to actively shape their own health. Digital self-efficacy, health literacy, and the electronic health record (ePA) are key building blocks for greater transparency, personal responsibility, and patient-centered care.

We are seeking real-world examples, innovative concepts, and scientific findings that demonstrate how digital solutions can strengthen health literacy, promote active patient participation, and enable the use of the ePA in ways that provide real added value. The focus is on approaches that promote self-determination, break down digital barriers, and empower people to make informed decisions about their own health.

Submit your session and show how digital innovations are tangibly improving citizens’ daily lives. We are looking for best practices, transferable experiences, and forward-looking concepts that clearly demonstrate how people can specifically recognize and experience progress in digital healthcare.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• How will the ePA work from the patient's perspective in 2027?
• How can we empower people to use digital services in a self-directed way—rather than simply consuming them?
• How important is health literacy for the acceptance of digital solutions?
• How can we translate medical information in a way that empowers patients to take action?
• Which models for using patient data (patient-generated data models) work in practice?
• Where are patient advocacy groups effective today—and where are they not?

• (In-house) Investment in Digital Health
• Sustainable Business Models & the Digital Health Economy
• Scaling, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Exit Strategies in the Digital Health Market
• Translating Innovation into Routine Care
• Consolidation of the Digital Health Market & Investment Trends

Session Description

Innovations do not arise solely from good ideas; their success depends on whether they make their way into clinical practice and are economically viable in the long term. The digital health market focuses less on financing and growth at any cost, and more on robust business models, successful translation, and the sustainable implementation of innovative solutions.

We are seeking real-world examples, scientific findings, and case studies that demonstrate how research is transformed into marketable products and how innovations make the leap into standard care. The focus is on sustainable business models, successful spin-offs, innovations originating in hospitals and healthcare facilities (“home-brew innovation”), collaborations between academia, healthcare, and industry, as well as realistic strategies for scaling and exits.

Submit your session and show how innovative ideas can lead to sustainable solutions for the healthcare sector. We are looking for best practices, success factors, and lessons learned that illustrate how digital innovations can achieve commercial success while also creating measurable added value for healthcare.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• What are some realistic exit strategies for digital health startups in 2027?
• Which business models are sustainable even without support programs, such as the KHZG or the Innovation Fund?
• How do European venture capitalists view Germany as an investment destination in 2027?
• What role do strategic mergers and acquisitions play in consolidation?
• What does the market learn from bankruptcies and down rounds?

• Digital Transformation of the Social Economy 2027
• Funding for Digital Social and Health Solutions
• Charitable Organizations & Dual Transformation (Digital + Skilled Workers)
• Integration Assistance & Digitalization (BTHG / Participation)
• Cross-Sectoral Care & Innovation in the Welfare State

Session Description

Digitalization does not stop at the doors of hospitals and doctors’ offices. Charitable organizations, social service providers, and funding agencies account for a significant portion of health and social care and face a twofold challenge: they must shape the digital transformation and address the shortage of skilled workers. At the same time, prevention, social participation, and low-threshold digital access for citizens are becoming increasingly important.

We are seeking real-world examples, innovative concepts, and scientific findings that demonstrate how digitalization can sustainably improve health and social care. The focus includes, among other things, digital access for patients, seamless application and administrative processes, prevention and incentive programs, digital solutions in the areas of rehabilitation and retirement benefits, as well as new financing and cooperation models between welfare organizations, payers, and other stakeholders in the social welfare system.

Submit your topic and bring new perspectives to the DMEA. We are looking for best practices and forward-looking approaches that demonstrate how digitalization strengthens social participation, improves cross-sectoral care, and prepares the welfare state for the future.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• What digitalization strategies will the major charitable organizations be pursuing in 2027?
• What kind of funding approach is needed for digitalization in the social economy?
• How can hospital IT vendors enter the social economy market?
• What role do social banks and investment programs play?
• What changes will digitalization bring to integration assistance?

• Global Innovations & Digitally Supported Care Models
• International Standards, Interoperability, and Health Data Rooms
• Artificial Intelligence & Digitally Supported Healthcare: A Global Comparison
• Cross-Border Collaborations & Public-Private Partnerships
• Resilient Health Systems, National Security, and Global Regulatory and Approval Coordination

Session Description

Digital health innovations do not emerge through unilateral national efforts. International regulation, global coordination, cross-border collaboration, and shared data spaces are increasingly shaping how resilient and effective healthcare is designed.

This thematic area deliberately looks beyond the program’s other focal points and brings together everything that shapes the DMEA’s international perspective—from artificial intelligence and data infrastructures to patient empowerment, skilled workers, and prevention, as well as global supply chains and health and safety policy.

We are looking for sessions that inspire: sessions that show what health care systems around the world can learn from one another, how international cooperation solves shared challenges—and what opportunities this creates for Germany, Europe, and the world.

Guiding Questions for Submitters

• What international developments, best practices, or partnerships will shape digital healthcare in the coming years—and what does that mean for Germany, Europe, and global partners?
• How do international cooperation, common standards, and cross-border innovations sustainably improve healthcare delivery, data use, AI, interoperability, and patient-centered care?
• What lessons can be learned from other healthcare systems—and where are new, collaborative solutions needed instead of individual national approaches?
• What technological, regulatory, or societal trends go beyond the program’s current priorities and will shape the next generation of digital health care?
• How can policymakers, healthcare providers, the scientific community, the business sector, and international organizations work together to bring innovations into practice more quickly—to create a resilient, interconnected healthcare system?