Modeling in Biomedical Informatics – An Exploratory Analysis (Part 1)

2006 ◽  
Vol 45 (06) ◽  
pp. 638-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hasman ◽  
R. Haux
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Electronic Patient Records ◽  
Knowledge Processing ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Processing Data ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Research And Education

Summary Objectives: Modeling is a significant part of research, education and practice in biomedical and health informatics. Our objective was to explore, which types of models of processes are used in current biomedical/ health informatics research, as reflected in publications of scientific journals in this field. Also the implications for medical informatics curricula were investigated. Methods: Retrospective, prolective observational study on recent publications of the two official journals of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), the International Journal of Medical Informatics (IJMI) and Methods of Information in Medicine (MIM). Results: 384 publications have been analyzed, 190 of IJMI and 194 of MIM. In regular papers (69 in IJMI, 62 in MIM), analyzed here in part 1, all of these model types could be found. In many publications we observed a mixture of models, being used to solve the ‘core’ research questions and also to systematically evaluate the research done. Knowledge of (and models for) software engineering and project management are also often needed. IJMI seems to have a closer focus on research concerning health information systems and electronic patient records, with a strong emphasis on evaluation. MIM seems to have a broader range of research approaches, including also statistical modeling and computational intensive approaches. The aim to provide solutions for problems related to data, information and knowledge processing and to study the general principles of processing data, information and knowledge in medicine and health care in order to contribute to improve the quality of health care, and of research and education in medicine and the health sciences was given in all publications. Conclusions: Modeling continues to be a major task in research, education and practice in biomedical and health informatics. Knowledge and skills concerning a broad range of model types is needed.

Medical Informatics: A Key to the Future of Medicine and Health Care?

1995 ◽  
Vol 34 (05) ◽  
pp. 454-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Haux
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Research Education ◽  
The Future

Abstract:Commenting on the paper of Heathfield and Wyatt (The Road to Professionalism in Medical Informatics: A Proposal for Debate. Methods of Information in Medicine 1995) argued that Medical Informatics as a scientific discipline has reached a professional status. However, depending on the geographic location and the field of research, education or applications, requirements for further “professionalization” differ. It is proposed that Medical Informatics and Health Informatics should be regarded as one discipline and that Medical Informatics has to contribute to research, education and to the practice of health care in order to improve diagnostics, therapy and health care organization. The future of Medical Informatics is strongly dependent on health care professionals, who must be well-educated in medical informatics; these may be physicians, nurses, health care administrators, specialists in medical informatics, or others. There is still a continuing need for the systematic processing of data, information and knowledge in medicine and in health care. Also, due to its essentially cross-sectional nature encompassing most other disciplines in medicine and health sciences, Medical Informatics must be regarded as a key to the future of medicine and health care.

Medical Informatics: Once More Towards Systematization

1996 ◽  
Vol 35 (03) ◽  
pp. 189-192
Author(s):  
R. Haux
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Considerable Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Systematic Processing ◽  
Medical Discipline ◽  
Research And Education

Abstract:Commenting on a paper by Van Bemmel (Medical Informatics, Art or Science? [1]), the following questions are raised: What is the meaning of medical informatics?, How to systematize medical informatics?, Is medical informatics an art, a science or a technology?. It is argued that medical informatics is concerned with the systematic processing of data, information and knowledge in medicine and health care, and that medical informatics is not just the application of computers in these fields. Three classifications for medical informatics research and education are presented. It is concluded that medical informatics is a scientific medical discipline, similar to surgery, internal medicine, epidemiology, or microbiology; and that medical informatics has a strong relationship with the health sciences concerning its field of application, and to informatics concerning its methods and tools. It is a cross-sectional discipline, with relevance for virtually all other specialties of medicine and the health sciences. This is the reason for its impact on research and education in these specialties. It also causes that the quality of the processing of data, information and knowledge has a direct and considerable effect upon the quality of health care in practically all these specialties.

Health Informatics: Handle with Caution

1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (02) ◽  
pp. 79-81
Author(s):  
V. Leroy ◽  
S. Maurice-Tison ◽  
B. Le Blanc ◽  
R. Salamon
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Data Security ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
The Other ◽  
Inappropriate Use

Abstract:The increased use of computers is a response to the considerable growth in information in all fields of activities. Related to this, in the field of medicine a new component appeared about 40 years ago: Medical Informatics. Its goals are to assist health care professionals in the choice of data to manage and in the choice of applications of such data. These possibilities for data management must be well understood and, related to this, two major dangers must be emphasized. One concerns data security, and the other concerns the processing of these data. This paper discusses these items and warns of the inappropriate use of medical informatics.

Health and Medical Informatics Education

1994 ◽  
Vol 33 (03) ◽  
pp. 246-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Haux ◽  
F. J. Leven ◽  
J. R. Moehr ◽  
D. J. Protti
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Academic Degree ◽  
The University

Abstract:Health and medical informatics education has meanwhile gained considerable importance for medicine and for health care. Specialized programs in health/medical informatics have therefore been established within the last decades.This special issue of Methods of Information in Medicine contains papers on health and medical informatics education. It is mainly based on selected papers from the 5th Working Conference on Health/Medical Informatics Education of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), which was held in September 1992 at the University of Heidelberg/Technical School Heilbronn, Germany, as part of the 20 years’ celebration of medical informatics education at Heidelberg/Heilbronn. Some papers were presented on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the health information science program of the School of Health Information Science at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Within this issue, programs in health/medical informatics are presented and analyzed: the medical informatics program at the University of Utah, the medical informatics program of the University of Heidelberg/School of Technology Heilbronn, the health information science program at the University of Victoria, the health informatics program at the University of Minnesota, the health informatics management program at the University of Manchester, and the health information management program at the University of Alabama. They all have in common that they are dedicated curricula in health/medical informatics which are university-based, leading to an academic degree in this field. In addition, views and recommendations for health/medical informatics education are presented. Finally, the question is discussed, whether health and medical informatics can be regarded as a separate discipline with the necessity for specialized curricula in this field.In accordance with the aims of IMIA, the intention of this special issue is to promote the further development of health and medical informatics education in order to contribute to high quality health care and medical research.

Medical Informatics and the Quality of Health: New Approaches to Support Patient Care

2003 ◽  
Vol 42 (02) ◽  
pp. 185-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Haux ◽  
C. Kulikowski ◽  
A. Bohne ◽  
R. Brandner ◽  
B. Brigl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Future Challenges

Summary Objectives: The Yearbook of Medical Informatics is published annually by the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and contains a selection of excellent papers on medical informatics research which have been recently published (www.yearbook.uni-hd.de). The 2003 Yearbook of Medical Informatics took as its theme the role of medical informatics for the quality of health care. In this paper, we will discuss challenges for health care, and the lessons learned from editing IMIA Yearbook 2003. Results and Conclusions: Modern information processing methodology and information and communication technology have strongly influenced our societies and health care. As a consequence of this, medical informatics as a discipline has taken a leading role in the further development of health care. This involves developing information systems that enhance opportunities for global access to health services and medical knowledge. Informatics methodology and technology will facilitate high quality of care in aging societies, and will decrease the possibilities of health care errors. It will also enable the dissemination of the latest medical and health information on the web to consumers and health care providers alike. The selected papers of the IMIA Yearbook 2003 present clear examples and future challenges, and they highlight how various sub-disciplines of medical informatics can contribute to this.

scholarly journals Benefit-risk of Patients' Online Access to their Medical Records: Consensus Exercise of an International Expert Group

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (01) ◽  
pp. 156-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harshana Liyanage ◽  
Siaw-Teng Liaw ◽  
Emmanouela Konstantara ◽  
Freda Mold ◽  
Richard Schreiber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Consensus Statements ◽  
Online Access ◽  
The Impact

Background: Patients' access to their computerised medical records (CMRs) is a legal right in many countries. However, little is reported about the benefit-risk associated with patients' online access to their CMRs. Objective: To conduct a consensus exercise to assess the impact of patients' online access to their CMRs on the quality of care as defined in six domains by the Institute of Medicine (IoM), now the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Method: A five-round Delphi study was conducted. Round One explored experts' (n = 37) viewpoints on providing patients with access to their CMRs. Round Two rated the appropriateness of statements arising from Round One (n = 16). The third round was an online panel discussion of findings (n = 13) with the members of both the International Medical Informatics Association and the European Federation of Medical Informatics Primary Health Care Informatics Working Groups. Two additional rounds, a survey of the revised consensus statements and an online workshop, were carried out to further refine consensus statements. Results: Thirty-seven responses from Round One were used as a basis to initially develop 15 statements which were categorised using IoM's domains of care quality. The experts agreed that providing patients online access to their CMRs for bookings, results, and prescriptions increased efficiency and improved the quality of medical records. Experts also anticipated that patients would proactively use their online access to share data with different health care providers, including emergencies. However, experts differed on whether access to limited or summary data was more useful to patients than accessing their complete records. They thought online access would change recording practice, but they were unclear about the benefit-risk of high and onerous levels of security. The 5-round process, finally, produced 16 consensus statements. Conclusion: Patients' online access to their CMRs should be part of all CMR systems. It improves the process of health care, but further evidence is required about outcomes. Online access improves efficiency of bookings and other services. However, there is scope to improve many of the processes of care it purports to support, particularly the provision of a more effective interface and the protection of the vulnerable.

The Birth and Evolution of a Discipline Devoted to Information in Biomedicine and Health Care

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (06) ◽  
pp. 491-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Gefeller ◽  
D. Aronsky ◽  
T. Y. Leong ◽  
I. N. Sarkar ◽  
D. Bergemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Editorial Office ◽  
Biomedical Data ◽  
Electronic Patient Records ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Aims And Scope

SummaryBackground: The journal Methods of Information in Medicine, founded in 1962, has now completed its 50th volume. Its publications during the last five decades reflect the formation of a discipline that deals with information in biomedicine and health care. Objectives: To report about 1) the journal‘s origin, 2) the individuals who have significantly contributed to it, 3) trends in the journal’s aims and scope, 4) influential papers and 5) major topics published in Methods over the years.Methods: Methods included analysing the correspondence and journal issues in the archives of the editorial office and of the publisher, citation analysis using the ISI and Scopus databases, and analysing the articles’ Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in MEDLINE.Results: In the journal’s first 50 years 208 editorial board members and/or editors contributed to the journal’s development, with most individuals coming from Europe and North America. The median time of service was 11 years. At the time of analysis 2,456 articles had been indexed with Me SH. Topics included computerized systems of various types, informatics methodologies, and topics related to a specific medical domain. Some MeSH topic entries were heavily and regularly represented in each of the journal‘s five decades (e.g. information systems and medical records), while others were important in a particular decade, but not in other decades (e.g. punched-card systems and systems integration). Seven papers were cited more than 100 times and these also covered a broad range of themes such as knowledge representation, analysis of biomedical data and knowledge, clinical decision support and electronic patient records. Conclusions: Methods of Information in Medicine is the oldest international journal in biomedical informatics. The journal’s development over the last 50 years correlates with the formation of this new discipline. It has and continues to stress the basic methodology and scientific fundamentals of organizing, representing and analysing data, information and knowledge in biomedicine and health care. It has and continues to stimulate multi-disciplinary communication on research that is devoted to high-quality, efficient health care, to quality of life and to the progress of biomedicine and the health sciences.

Good Medicine and Good Health-care Demand Good Information (Systems)

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (05) ◽  
pp. 385-387
Author(s):  
R. -D. Hilgers ◽  
R. Hofestädt ◽  
U. Hübner ◽  
P. Knaup-Gregori ◽  
C. Ose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
German Journal ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Good Information ◽  
Patient Registries

SummaryThe demand for evidence-based health informatics and benchmarking of ‘good’ information systems in health care gives an opportunity to continue reporting on recent papers in the German journal GMS Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (MIBE) here. The publications in focus deal with a comparison of benchmarking initiatives in German-speaking countries, use of communication standards in telemonitoring scenarios, the estimation of national cancer incidence rates and modifications of parametric tests. Furthermore papers in this issue of MIM are introduced which originally have been presented at the Annual Conference of the German Society of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology. They deal as well with evidence and evaluation of ‘good’ information systems but also with data harmonization, surveillance in obstetrics, adaptive designs and parametrical testing in statistical analysis, patient registries and signal processing.

scholarly journals International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI): Strategy and Focus Areas, 1st Version

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (01) ◽  
pp. 015-025
Author(s):  
Fernando Martin-Sanchez ◽  
Marion J. Ball ◽  
Michio Kimura ◽  
Paula Otero ◽  
Elaine Huesing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Living Nature ◽  
International Academy ◽  
And Training

Background: The International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) is the Academy of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). As an international forum for peers in biomedical and health informatics, the Academy shall play an important role in exchanging knowledge, providing education and training, and producing policy documents. Objectives: A major priority of the Academy’s activities in its inaugural phase was to define its strategy and focus areas in accordance with its objectives and to prioritize the Academy’s work, which can then be transferred to respective taskforces. Method: This document reflects the major outcomes of intensive discussions that occurred during 2019. It was presented at the Academy’s 3rd Plenary on August 25th, 2019, in Lyon, France. Results: Regardless of the ‘living nature’ of the strategy and focus areas document, it was concluded during the Plenary that the first version, which will be used as a base for decisions on the Academy’s future activities, should be made available to a broad audience. Three out of eight ‘Visions for IAHSI‘, presented in the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics 2018, were identified as central for developing, implementing, and evaluating the Academy’s strategic directions: (1) advise governments and organizations on developing health and health sciences through informatics, (2) stimulate progress in biomedical and health informatics research, education, and practice, and (3) share and exchange knowledge. Taskforces shall be implemented to work in the following areas, which were considered as priority themes: (1) artificial intelligence in health: future collaboration of entities with natural and with artificial intelligence in health care, and (2) current landscape of standards for digital health. Conclusions: Taskforces are now being established. Besides specific key performance indicators, suggested for monitoring the work of theses taskforces, the strategy to monitor the progress of the Academy itself has to be measured by relevant and acceptable metrics.

scholarly journals Health Informatics: Building Capacity Worldwide. Editorial

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. 06-07 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Kulikowski ◽  
Antoine Geissbuhler
Keyword(s):  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Health Informatics ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
Building Capacity ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Workforce Capacity

Summary Objectives: To provide an editorial introduction to the 2010 IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics with an overview of its contents and contributors. Methods: A brief overview of the main theme, and an outline of the purposes, contents, format, and acknowledgment of contributions for the 2010 IMIA Yearbook. Results: This 2010 issue of the IMIA Yearbook highlights important developments in the building of workforce capacity in medical informatics worldwide, covering activities in research, education and practice in this interdisciplinary field. Progress towards educating and keeping professionals in the field up-to-date is complemented by outreach to the wide range of disciplines and biomedical and health specialties that are covered by this very broad field, identified from the recent literature, illustrated by selected papers published during the past 12 months.xs Conclusion: Reviews and Surveys of the main research sub-fields in biomedical informatics in the Yearbook provide an overview of progress and current challenges across the spectrum of the discipline.

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