A leading expert in the fields of digital health care and artificial intelligence (AI), Professor Shafi Ahmed, has expressed confidence that the technology will benefit the region.

Delivering the final keynote speech at the recent Caribbean Medical Professionals’ Summit (CAMPS) 2024, held at Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Professor Ahmed delved into the possible transformative role of AI in medicine and public health.

He tackled the often-repeated question of whether AI will replace doctors.

Ahmed told the participants that the potential of AI technologies could make health care more affordable and accessible in regions like the Caribbean, “From diagnosis and treatment for individual patients to disease surveillance and outbreak prediction at the population level.”

CAMPS 2024, which was branded ‘Catapult Your Career in Care’, brought together eminent medical professionals from across the Caribbean and beyond to exchange knowledge, share insights, and collaborate on ventures to improve physician well-being and health-care delivery in the region.

The summit provided intimate presentations and workshops on diverse topics, including telemedicine, mental health care for physicians, ethics as a health-care leader, and investing and retirement planning.

Interactive in nature, the summit also brought to Jamaica physicians from various Caribbean islands who have migrated to North America and the United Kingdom and are eager to contribute to their home region.

“I am especially pleased that CAMPS was able to delve into geographically hybrid careers, facilitated by telemedicine and AI,” said Shawna-Kaye Lester, founder of CAMPS.

“We have the technologies to facilitate more flexibility for health-care workers and greater accessibility for patients, and there is no reason for the Caribbean to be left behind.

“By bringing together thought leaders and innovators from different backgrounds to facilitate the personal and professional development of our medical professionals, we’ve laid the groundwork to make CAMPS a vehicle for responding to the unique health-care challenges in our region,” added Lester.