Co-sponsored by the NTI and the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, this event, held on June 4-5, 2009, involved 80 of the premiere academic and institutional experts in this field. The conference focused on assessing the current state of automation and decision support systems in hospitals, as well as the challenges of technology development in this arena."

Outcomes from this meeting included recommendations for research and development as well as for government, industry and academic health care providers. Attendees also recommended transitioning current laboratory projects involving information technology into the direct patient care environment.

The ultimate goal for the automation conference attendees is to help emergency, surgical and critical care medical teams improve patient care by incorporating automation technology into routine patient care.