Informatics Activities in the United States – Report from AMIA
AMIA – Informatics Professionals. Leading the Way
AMIA represents more than 5,600 healthcare professionals, students, informatics researchers,
practitioners, and thought-leaders in biomedicine, healthcare, and science. AMIA's
members are subject matter experts in the science and practice of informatics as it
relates to clinical care, research, education, and policy. They address challenges
across the continuum of the health ecosystem’consumers and patients, healthcare providers
and care delivery systems, population and public health, and basic and clinical research
with the ultimate goal to advance better health, better healthcare, and improved efficiency
through the use of informatics and information technology.
Why Informatics?
In 2021, AMIA continues its communication campaign’promoting the fact that every day
people benefit from informaticians’ ability to accelerate healthcare's transformation
by collecting, analyzing and applying data directly to care decisions. The campaign
features AMIA members telling their stories on video. Members share how informatics
connects to real-world outcomes by lowering costs, increasing safety and promoting
the use of high-quality services.
For more information and to share the videos with colleagues and students, visit https://www.amia.org/why-informatics.
Meetings and Conferences
AMIA meetings offer education, networking and peer-reviewed presentation opportunities
reflecting the comprehensive range of informatics domains serving hundreds of health
and healthcare related disciplines. AMIA meetings are widely regarded as the world's
most comprehensive meetings on clinical and health informatics and provide a broad
range of sessions on timely topics of informatics.
AMIA 2021 Virtual Informatics Summit
Bioinformatics | Clinical Research | Implementation | Data Science
March 22 – 25
The summit focuses on cutting edge research around four main areas: translational
bioinformatics, clinical research informatics, implementation informatics and data
science. The meeting brings together researchers from these fields and beyond to share
their work and promote a vibrant exchange of ideas leading to new collaborations,
innovation and discovery. The program is diverse including research presentations,
keynote speakers, panels and short “elevator pitch” presentations highlighting the
newest developments in the field of informatics with the goal of enhancing the sharing
of methods and approaches across the four areas of focus.
The COVID-19 health crisis has highlighted the critical importance of biomedical and
health informatics research, as the world attempts to manage the rippling effects
of this outbreak. The government, healthcare industry, policy makers, medical practitioners,
and all relevant stakeholders now, more than ever, recognize the need for data sharing,
data harmonization and methods and tools to increase the pace and efficiency of discovery.
What has the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about the intelligent deployment of healthcare
informatics? Are there lessons we can apply to our specific fields of research?
Chaired by Dr. Samuel Volchenboum, the AMIA 2021 Virtual Informatics Summit is the
ideal venue to learn about best practices, new methodologies and shared challenges
in four main areas: Translational Bioinformatics, Clinical Research Informatics, Implementation
Informatics, and Data Science. If you are a physician, scientist, student, economist,
analyst, policy maker and/or entrepreneur, you should participate in this one-of-a-kind
event, where countless collaborations are formed, complex challenges are discussed,
and innovative research is presented. We look forward to seeing you. In the meantime,
stay healthy.
AMIA 2021 Virtual Clinical Informatics Conference
Evidence | Analytics | Best Practice
May 19 – 21
AMIA's Clinical Informatics Conference is making a mark on healthcare. CIC is where
practitioners in health informatics including physicians, nurses, physician assistants,
technicians, HIT developers, data analysts, C-suite executives, and all members of
the health care team come together at their home conference. Our collective goal is
to advance healthcare systems driven by data, evidence, and best practice with the
explicit purpose of creating better health information technologies. We are instituting
both a new informatics operations-focused track and submission category for the 2021
Clinical Informatics Conference called Real-time Innovations.
Chaired by Dr. Subha Airan-Javia and Dr. Kenrick Cato, AMIA’s Virtual Clinical Informatics
Conference – CIC – is making a mark on healthcare. CIC is where clinician informaticists
of all disciplines –physicians, nurses, physician assistants, technicians, HIT developers,
data analysts, C-suite executives, and more – share their innovations in bringing
the technology advances out of the lab and into the patient room. Our collective goal
is to leverage technology in new ways, to advance healthcare delivery, access and
outcomes.
CIC features workshops and presentations that provide attendees with practical tools
they can bring to their home institution to continue the goal of achieving the quadruple
aim. The conference’s unbiased, evidence and importantly experience-based content
is sure to help each of us foster and build a true learning health system. Join more
than 600 of your colleagues of dedicated informaticians in sharing your ideas and
experiences to create progress in care delivery.
AMIA 2021 Annual Symposium
October 30 - November 3, San Diego, California, US
Chaired by Dr. Adam Wilcox, AMIA’s flagship annual meeting draws the multidisciplinary,
interprofessional community of informaticians together for five intensive days of
learning and networking. It features hundreds of scientific sessions, workshops, exhibition,
posters, and opportunities showcasing the full breadth and depth of the informatics
profession. With this conference, we expect to be able to return to the face-to-face
format, so important for networking, exchange of ideas, and building collaborations.
Using lessons learned from over a year of virtual meetings, we plan to incorporate
elements of the virtual format in ways that will enhance the experience for those
attending in person and extending the opportunity to participate to those unable to
be physically present.
Virtual Conference on Reducing Clinical Documentation Burden
AMIA sponsored a conference in conjunction with the National Library of Medicine on
reducing clinical documentation burden January 2021 (chaired by Dr. Sarah Rossetti
and Dr. Trent Rosenbloom). The output of that conference will likely be of interest
to the international community.
Publications
JAMIA
JAMIA provides members and subscribers with the best in biomedical and health informatics
publishing as the premier journal in the field. Led by Dr. Suzanne Bakken, JAMIA celebrated
its 26th anniversary last year with special issues focused on the 30th anniversary
of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and one to honor the legacy of Diana
Forsythe's work on innovative and cross-disciplinary scholarship at the intersection
of biomedical informatics and social science. In 2021, JAMIA will publish a special
issue on Clinician Burnout: Informatics Perspectives, to present current research
and perspective about the role of informatics and health information technologies
on causing and/or reversing burnout among healthcare providers.
JAMIA Open
JAMIA Open, edited by Dr. Neil Sarkar, is AMIA's peer-reviewed, online-only, and gold
open access journal provides a global forum for the publication of novel research
and insights in the major areas of informatics for biomedicine and health (e.g., translational
bioinformatics, clinical research informatics, clinical informatics, public health
informatics, and consumer health informatics), as well as related areas such as data
science, qualitative research, and implementation science. JAMIA Open articles, which
include application notes, database notes, and patient/community perspectives, alongside
original research, reflect the broad diversity of the field of informatics community,
focusing on the intersection of informatics, health, communication, and technology,
and how that intersection can support patient care through research, practice, and
education. JAMIA Open authors are encouraged to make data and source code accessible
through publicly accessible repositories that can be cited using digital object identifiers.
Accepted manuscripts are required to have a patient/community facing abstract that
highlights key findings.
ACI (Applied Clinical Informatics)
AMIA members continue to receive the ACI journal as part of their membership. As the
official eJournal of AMIA and IMIA led by Dr. Christoph Lehmann, ACI aims to establish
a platform that allows sharing knowledge between clinical medicine and health IT specialists
as well as bridging gaps between visionary design and successful and pragmatic deployment.
The core editorial subject matters of ACI are: clinical information systems (including
electronic medical records and systems, personal health records, physician/provider
order entry, electronic prescribing, clinical decision support, nursing information
systems, patient scheduling and tracking tools, lab information systems, radiology
information systems, PACS, GP information systems), administrative and management
systems, eHealth systems, information technology development, deployment, and evaluation,
socio-technical aspects of information technology and health IT training.
ACI Open
ACI Open is the open access companion journal to ACI led by Dr. David Dorr and Dr.
Lipika Samal. The journal publishes manuscripts in the field of clinical informatics
including clinical information systems (including electronic medical records and systems,
personal health records, physician/provider order entry, electronic prescribing, clinical
decision support, nursing information systems, patient scheduling and tracking tools,
lab information systems, radiology information systems, PACS, GP information systems),
mobile health applications, administrative and management systems, eHealth systems,
information technology development, deployment, usability, and evaluation, socio-technical
aspects of information technology and health IT training.
Certifications and Accreditation Activities
AMIA has appointed a Health Informatics Certification Commission to plan for and manage
the AMIA Health Informatics Certification (AHIC) program, including eligibility, exam
development, and recertification. Dr. Joseph Hales and Dr. Catherine Ivory serve as
chair and vice-chair. The Commission has reviewed and approved a set of recommendations
finalized by its subcommittees regarding eligibility criteria, recertification standards
and examination specifications. In 2021, AHIC will launch an application portal and
start accepting applications for certification. First applicants will have the choice
to beta-test a new examination in the summer or take the final version in the autumn.
The examination is based on the scope of practice of health informatics (HI) professionals
within the USA, having been derived from the HI Delineation of Practice that emerged
from a survey of HI professionals that included few outside-the-USA respondents. Applicants
who reside, work, or were educated or trained outside-the-USA, and who satisfy the
other eligibility criteria, will be eligible for the AHIC certification program.
Strategic Planning
Communities of Practice
AMIA continues to work with the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics
and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) through its Health Informatics Accreditation
Council to certify health informaticists degree programs and develop a web-based outreach
program to provide information about opportunities for training and careers in health
informatics. AMIA has several initiatives to delineate informatics practice for various
professional communities, including the clinical informatics subspecialty (for physicians)
and other health informatics professionals and has published a practice analysis (Gadd
CS, et. al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2020). AMIA is now undertaking a crosswalk to clarify
commonalities and differences among these communities. We will share our findings
with your societies, as they are relevant to health informatics practices throughout
the world.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a strategic umbrella encompassing multiple concerns
including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, LGBTQIA+, and
ability, and initiatives and activities involving affinity groups, S.T.E.M pipeline,
program development, education content, leadership development, and mentoring. All
are cross-organizational issues affecting AMIA’s individual and organizational membership
through governance and staff work in membership, education, meetings, marketing communications,
and public policy.
AMIA has charged a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force whose purpose
is to guide and execute strategic goals and objectives related to diversity, equity
and inclusion through recommendations to the AMIA Board of Directors. Their charge
includes an environmental scan off ways that other organizaitons are addressing this
issue, creating a framework for developing exposure and retention for students and
professionals, and hosting engagement sessions to better inform the task force on
issues and potential solutions. They will provide DEI education to AMIA leadership
and members and increase awareness of the benefits of DEI towards advancing innovation
and excellence in our healthcare system. The goal is to expand awareness of informatics
training and careers to a wider, diverse populaiton to create a stronger, more dynamic
workforce. We expect that the lessons learned and successful experiences can inform
societies in other countries as well.
Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 Impact and Resouces Developed by Members
Scientific activities realted to the pandemic include:
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Established coronavirus resource central and webinar series
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Dozens of new policy responses and requests for informatics guidance and expertise
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Distribution of corporate member COVID-19 initiatives, informatics resources and how
to get involved in public/private partnerships to support the community response
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Member podcasts, community discussions, and rapid publication of COVID-related science
Teleworking
The AMIA office has transitioned to complete teleworking for all activities as of
March. This has required extensive technical and social solutions that have been so
successful that AMIA’s virtual status will become permanent in May 2021, with closure
of our physical office in Bethesda, Maryland.
Virtual Conferences
The AMIA 2020 Research Informatics Congress (March 23-26) was quickly transitioned
to an all-virtual format. Registration was open to the first thousand participants,
with all fees waived or returned. In terms of attendance, it was by far the most successful
spring conngress in AMIA’s history. With somewhat more planning time available, the
AMIA 2020 Clinical Informatics Conference (May 19-21) and the AMIA Annual Symposium
(November 14-18) were likewise transitioned to all-virtual conferences.
The Virtual AMIA Annual Symposium atttracted 2083 attendees, somewhat less than previous
face-to-face meetings but 30% more than expected. Lessons learned included:
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AMIA met the value-threshold with 2020 Virtual Annual Symposium performance
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Approach to program planning with peer-reviewed contributed content applying rigor
and quality standards was central to success
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The platform and technology enabled systematic curation and dissemination of live
streaming plus conference artifacts
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Content can be translated into a digital library for additional engagement
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Our members and attendees do stay connected during virtual sessions but there’s competition
for their attention
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We Need more data to understand ongoing value of archived conference assets
For more information
AMIA
4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 500
Bethesda, MD 20814
Tel: +1 301 657 1291
Fax: +1 301 657 1296
E-mail: mail@amia.org
Website: www.amia.org
Twitter: @AMIAinformatics
LinkedIn: Official Group of AMIA
Facebook: American Medical Informatics Association
Digital Health Canada
Digital Health Canada connects, inspires, and educates the digital health professionals
creating the future of health in Canada.
Digital Health Canada is a member-supported not-for-profit professional association
that connects, inspires, and educates the digital health professionals creating the
future of health in Canada. Our members are a diverse community of accomplished, influential
professionals working to make a difference in advancing healthcare through information,
technology, and data management.
Digital Health Canada fosters network growth and connection; brings together ideas
from multiple segments for incubation and advocacy; supports members through professional
development at the individual and organizational level; and advocates for the Canadian
digital health industry.
Virtual Member Engagement in 2020
In response to pandemic challenges, Digital Health Canada accelerated efforts to deliver
virtual events to offer Canadian professionals an expanded online experience, with
multiple opportunities to connect, learn, and network online. New event platforms
allow attendees to use chat boards, jump into live speaker Q+A, start unique discussion
threads, connect with colleagues through the event platform, and more. As long as
physical distancing recommendations remain in place, Digital Health Canada will continue
to offer high-quality, user-friendly, travel-free ways to connect, inspire, and educate
the digital health professionals creating the future of health in Canada.
e-Health 2020 Virtual PopUp (July 20/21)
This interactive and engaging online event included 35 speakers from across Canada:
Opening Plenary, six concurrent sessions, virtual tradeshow networking, five sponsor
symposia, happy (half) hour and closing keynote speaker. The PopUp included 17 Virtual
Exhibitors and 11 Event Sponsors. There were more than 750 registrants for this national
event hosted by Digital Health Canada, Canada Health Infoway, Canadian Institute for
Health Information.
By the numbers: Attendee Engagement
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92% app download; 1,339 community board messages; 3,000 attendee to attendee messages;
4,000+ agenda views
Key Statistics from Attendees Surveyed:
Regional Events
The Atlantic Region Virtual Conference was held October 5 & 6, 2020 and had the following
themes:
Driving the Future of Digital Health (virtual) was held October 19 & 20, 2020 with
the following themes:
-
COVID-19, Virtual Care, Digital Health Innovation
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A virtual tradeshow was included
In addition, Chapter Virtual LinkUps were hosted by the Atlantic Chapter, the Alberta
Chapter, and the BC Chapter which have welcomed more than 100 members in virtual networking
and discussion between April and November.
CHIEF Executive Forum Virtual Events
Digital Health Canada's CHIEF Executive Forum provides a place for senior professionals
and leaders in digital health and healthcare to collaborate, exchange best practices,
address professional development needs, and offer their expertise in setting the agenda
for the effective use of information and technology to improve health and healthcare
in Canada. CHIEF events included the following:
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CHIEF Executive Forum C90 - July 16, 2020
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CHIEF Executive Forum CGlobal - Sept 10, 2020
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CHIEF Executive Forum Fall Symposium - October 15 & 16
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CHIEF CHIEF Executive Forum C60 (Networking event)- November 19, 2020
CHIEF Executive Forum - National Virtual Care Working Groups
Given the recent accelerated deployment of virtual care services across all jurisdictions
due to COVID-19, CHIEF Executive Forum leaders recognized the challenges and opportunities
that now exist, including:
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Lack of common lexicon to describe virtual care services across Canada
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Gaps in standardized approaches to deployment of virtual care and continued “re-learning”
of same lessons across jurisdictions
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Workflow challenges for clinical, operations, and technical professionals and patients
and family caregivers
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Few tools available to assist professionals and patients with information, skills,
and education related to use of virtual care services
In addition, the CHIEF Executive Forum has initiated a working group to provide national
perspective and resources to address key needs, including:
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Maturity model to describe stages of maturity in deployment of virtual care nationally
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shared lexicon/language and definitions of virtual care and sub domain areas for Canada;
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resources aimed at educating and informing stakeholders using virtual health in Canada
Combined these resources will help leaders to sustain the innovation in virtual care
– and support work focused on national alignment, direction, and decision-support.
Webinars
Training & Education Highlights
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Digital Health Canada ‘Learn’ Learning Management System was launched as a one-stop-shop
for digital health education, professional development, and learning community engagement
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Nearly 100 users have engaged with ‘Learn’ Learning Management System since the launch
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New microcredentials are being launched: Enterprise Innovation Certificate program
is available now; Virtual Care Certificate is in development stage; Patients in Tech
Certificate in planning stage.
Awards
The Women Leaders in Digital Health Awards celebrates the top ten female visionaries
who are harnessing the power of IT to transform health and healthcare in Canada today.
The annual Women Leaders in Digital Health Award is unique among power lists and award
programs in that it recognizes women at any stage of their career and is inclusive
of all women of influence no matter where they might be in the health IT field. Each
year, ten new Women Leaders in Digital Health are recognized for the work they have
accomplished in the last year. We will announcing the 2020 Women Leaders in Digital
Health during Digital Health Week (Nov 16-20): https://digitalhealthcanada.com/resources/women-leaders-digital-health-award-winners/
Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
Digital Health Canada staff demonstrated creativity and innovation by rapidly deploying
program offerings to assist members and non-members alike, including:
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Webinar Wednesday access to members and non-members with COVID-19 focused topics such
as virtual care, mental health, and more;
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Rapid launch of a COVID-19 resource pages and new interactive discussion forum on
our website: https://digitalhealthcanada.com/covid-19-resources/
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Chapter Virtual LinkUps to bring together member segments and chapters
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Developing new Virtual Event bundle sponsorships for fall virtual events and webinar
showcase sessions;
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Research & Innovation webinar series to engage student, academic, and emerging professionals;
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CHIEF Executive Forum Spring Symposium (Virtual) and monthly CHIEF Executive Forum
LinkUp virtual events
Promoting IMIA to our Members
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Digital Health Canada is promoting the benefits of engaging with IMIA with our members
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Regular messages have been included in our social media feeds to highlight the work
IMIA is doing
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This has included highlighting member benefits from joining IMIA Working Groups and
getting involved at the international level, given the need for sharing international
perspectives in dealing with the global challenges
Digital Health Canada
1100 - 151 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M5C 2W7
Canada
E-mail: info@digitalhealthcanada.com
Website: www.digitalhealthcanada.com
Twitter: @DigiHealthCA
LinkedIn: digital-health-ca
