Translational Research in Medical Informatics or from Theory to Practice

Summary

Objective: To bridge the divide between health informatics ‘bench research’ and the application of informatics in clinical and health care settings.

Method: Identifying weak points in translational activities, i.e. in the process from health informatics research outcomes to IT system design and information management in clinical practice.

Results and Conclusions: The creation of a new peer-reviewed journal, designed to cultivate broad readership across health care, is suggested in order to communicate on informatics topics of translational interest and on the application of informatics principals. Such an applied informatics journal may appeal to practicing physicians, healthcare administrators and CIOs as well as medical informaticians. In a globalizing world with eHealth initiatives spanning across borders, such a journal should be an international effort. Close ties to the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and to the journal Methods of Information in Medicine are suggested.

Keywords

Translational research - health informatics - medical informatics - IMIA

• References

• 1 National Institutes of Health. Estimates of Funding for Various Diseases, Conditions, Research Areas (monograph on the Internet). Bethesda: National Institutes of Health (NIH); 2007. (cited 2007 Nov 29). Available from: http://www.nih.gov/news/fundingresearchareas.htm.
• 2 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Electronic Health Records Still Not Routine Part of Medical Practice, Says New Study (monograph on the Internet). Washington: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; 2006. (cited 2007 Nov 29). Available from: http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=21882&gsa=1
• 3 Wears RL, Berg M. Computer technology and clinical work: still waiting for Godot. JAMA 2005; 293 (10) 1261-1263.
• 4 Healy JC. The WHO eHealth Resolution eHealth forAll by 2015?. Methods Inf Med 2007; 46: 2-3.
• 5 Geissbuhler A, Haux R, Kwankam SY. Towards Health for All: WHO and IMIA Intensify Collaboration Joint Communiqué during Medinfo 2007 in Brisbane. Methods Inf Med 2007; 47: 503-505.
• 6 Miller RA, Groth T, Hasman A, Safran C, Shortliffe EH, Haux R, McCray AT. On exemplary scientific conduct regarding submission of manuscripts to biomedical informatics journals. Methods Inf Med 2006; 45: 1-3.
• 7 Ball MJ, Silva JS, Bierstock S, Douglas JV, Norcio AF, Chakraborty J, Srini J. Failure to Provide Clinicians Useful IT Systems: Opportunities to Leapfrog Current Technologies. Methods Inf Medicine 2008; 47: 4-7.