How can new information technologies (IT) improve healthcare? Which technologies and web-based software are most worthwhile and cost effective? What are the capabilities of web-based IT tools to improve physician productivity and decision making?

To help executives and clinicians through the maze of competing technologies, the Sloan Program in Health Administration at Cornell University will host a conference, "Transforming Healthcare: Information Technology's Contribution," Saturday, April 20, at the IBM Conference Center in Palisades, N.Y.

Intended for industry executives, physicians, medical directors with operational responsibilities – such as chief executives and chief operating officers – and scholars, the conference will include a keynote address by Alan Dowling, former national director for the healthcare information technology unit of Ernst & Young, the global professional services concern.

Other highlights include a demonstration by William Frayer, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, on a large-scale systems implementation at the medical center, as well as presentations on several new technologies for electronic medical records, automated work-flow processes and mobile computing.

Additional information on the conference is available from Kris Waldron, associate director of the Sloan Program, at mkw28@cornell.edu or by telephone at (607) 255-2502.