Predicting the next Pandemic with Dr. Larry Brilliant.

The next pandemic will not be a virus. During the ICT&health World Conference, Lucien Engelen sat down with epidemiologist Larry Brilliant for a focused conversation on what he sees as the real global threat: a worldwide pandemic of chronic disease that is shortening healthy life expectancy and quietly destabilising healthcare systems and economies.Brilliant draws a sharp line between living longer and living healthier.

The widening gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy is, in his view, the defining challenge of our time. Prevention is no longer a public health slogan. It is a strategic imperative.

For ICT&health Global, this conversation goes to the heart of healthcare transformation. Technology, AI and data matter. But only if they help extend healthy years, strengthen prevention and support system level redesign. Brilliant also reflects on the eradication of smallpox and what true global leadership and coordination can achieve when urgency meets collaboration.For policymakers, health leaders and innovators shaping the future of care, this is essential listening.

Listen to the episode and join the global conversation on prevention, leadership and sustainable healthcare systems.

Summary

In this engaging podcast episode, Dr. Larry Brilliant discusses his remarkable journey in public health, including his pivotal role in eradicating smallpox and his insights on pandemics, healthspan, and innovations in healthcare. He emphasizes the importance of communication in public health and the need to address the growing healthspan-lifespan gap. Dr. Brilliant also shares his thoughts on overcoming barriers in public health and the collaborative efforts that led to the success of the smallpox eradication program.

Dr. Larry Brilliant played a crucial role in eradicating smallpox.

The movie 'Contagion' was inspired by the H1N1 pandemic.

Life expectancy has doubled, but healthspan has not kept pace.

The U.S. ranks poorly in healthspan compared to other countries.

Chronic diseases are a growing concern in public health.

Preventable diseases account for a significant portion of health issues.

Innovative strategies are needed to improve health outcomes.

Communication is key in public health messaging.

Collaboration was essential in the smallpox eradication effort.

The success of smallpox eradication serves as a model for future public health initiatives.

sound bites

"Fiction is a better communicator than facts."

"We need to find a way to solve that."

"We did it and we sent the tire."

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Dr. Larry Brilliant

04:36 Pandemics: Past, Present, and Future

09:25 The Healthspan-Lifespan Gap

12:31 Innovations in Healthcare and Longevity

16:22 Overcoming Barriers in Public Health

22:42 The Eradication of Smallpox: A Triumph of Collaboration

How can we improve physician, nurse and care team collaboration?

Interprofessional collaboration, patient engagement, healthcare innovation, nursing, AI in healthcare, patient education, healthcare culture, simulation training, self-care, and healthcare barriers.

An episode moderated in December 2025 by Lucien Engelen with Alessio Morley-Fletcher, MD, MMSc, Marjolein Heemels (RN, MSc, MHA) Heemels and Dave deBronkart (e-Patient Dave) deBronkart.

This conversation explores the critical theme of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare, emphasizing the roles of patients, nurses, and physicians.

The discussion highlights the importance of patient engagement, the impact of AI, and the need for cultural shifts within healthcare systems.

Key insights include the necessity of shared governance structures, the value of simulation training, and the call for proactive patient involvement in their care.

The participants share their experiences and perspectives on overcoming barriers to collaboration and improving healthcare delivery.

Takeaways:

-Interprofessional collaboration is essential for effective healthcare delivery.

-Patients should be seen as active partners in their care.

-AI can augment decision-making but should not replace human collaboration.

-Cultural shifts are necessary to improve healthcare systems.-simulation training enhances communication and teamwork among healthcare professionals.

-Self-care initiatives empower patients to manage their health.

-Governance structures can facilitate better collaboration in healthcare.

-Reducing cognitive load can improve patient and provider experiences.

-Healthcare professionals need to be trained together to foster collaboration.

-Engaging patients in their care leads to better outcomes.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Interprofessional Collaboration

06:16 The Role of Nurses in Healthcare

09:28 Patient Involvement in Healthcare Decisions

12:28 Physician Perspectives on Collaboration

15:13 Cultural Barriers in Healthcare

16:12 AI's Role in Patient Care

20:15 Patient Academy: Empowering Self-Care

23:54 Motivating Patients and Nurses

27:29 The Importance of Communication in Healthcare

31:02 Moving from Healthcare to Well-Care

32:44 Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare Training

35:46 The Role of Simulation in Medical Education

38:22 Technology and Human-Centered Design in Healthcare

41:17 Patient Participation and Shared Governance

44:11 Tangible Actions for Improving Collaboration

47:04 Building Governance Structures for Better Care

49:04 Navigating Healthcare Access and Patient Empowerment

The viral video of Will Smith eating spaghetti became a shorthand for how fast generative AI can improve. From awkward and unreliable to almost flawless in a year. At the @ICT&health World Conference in Maastricht, Daniel Kraft, MD used that moment to explain what we are now seeing in healthcare AI.
Early systems struggled with hallucinations and narrow use cases. Today, AI supports medical imaging, cardiology, diagnostics and clinical workflows, from second readers in radiology to AI scribes that reduce administrative burden and improve the patient conversation. According to Kraft, this is not linear progress but exponential change, invisible for years and suddenly impossible to ignore.
That shift echoes what Lucien Engelen described years ago as a Copernican moment in healthcare, moving from professional centred systems to patient centred care. AI accelerates that transition, enabling earlier detection, continuous monitoring and more personalised care, far beyond hospital walls.
Yet the article also makes a crucial point. Technology grows exponentially, people and systems do not. Adoption, trust, equity and human judgement remain decisive. AI should amplify intelligence, not replace it. The real risk is not that AI moves too fast, but that healthcare systems move too slowly to translate what is already possible into daily practice. Podcast hosts Lucien Engelen⁠ and Jessica Workum.