The Seminars educate Congress, public policy makers and the public about the issues, trends and forces shaping health care systems and how advancements in scientific innovation may affect health policy.

Sponsored by leading innovation and health companies, the Seminars provide Congress and the public with futures-oriented, balanced, non-partisan programs to identify and explore the issues that government, industry and the market will face in the next 10 years and beyond.

What Is Foresight And Why Is It Important?
Foresight illuminates opportunities and dangers that have
not yet become policy concerns but that will be important in the future. Foresight relates specific policy questions to the larger context of changes in health care, the economy and society. It addresses the questions, "What is the larger vision of the future we want to create?"

What are the goals of the Foresight Seminars?
The Institute has three goals for the Foresight Seminars:

• To identify the significant issues, trends and forces that are shaping the nation's health and health care industries;
• To provide foresight and futures research to aid public policy makers in their evaluation of issues and policy proposals;
• To examine how public policy makers can design policies and strategies that create quality health for all and sustain health science innovation.

How Do The Seminars Provide Foresight?
Each seminar begins with an IAF forecast which is followed by presentations from science, academia industry or government experts. The panel for each program is selected to ensure that diverse points of view are presented.

Each seminar concludes with an extended question and answer period for the audience to engage the Seminar's panel of experts.

The topics are selected by an advisory board made up of Congressional staff, health industry professionals, consumer advocates and academic experts.

Why Are The Foresight Seminars Useful?
The Seminars are designed to foster and provide foresight to Congress.
The Seminars help to:

• Develop a "big-picture" systems model revealing the social, economic and technological relationship important to policy questions;
• Use a systems approach to evaluate specific policy proposals that may have unintended consequences;
• Identify and bring to the attention of policy makers emerging issues that are likely to have long-term implications.

Why Should You Attend the Foresight Seminars?
The Foresight Seminars provide an opportunity to:

• Understand and learn about current and future health issues;
• Meet and interact with a large network of health care leaders and health policy stakeholders;
• Ask questions and engage experts in a focused, non-partisan discussion.