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International Conference on Health Informatics
Date : 4th January 2010 Venue : Seminar , SCMS
Conducted by
Chips n Nuts Forum [Systems and Operations Management Students], SCMSCOCHIN
Key Sessions were :
- Effective Management in Public Health: the role of Health Informatics
Dr. Ajith.N.Babu, Associate Professor, St.Louis University, USA
Dr. B.Radhakrishnan, Principal and Director. Academy of medical science, Kannur
- Business Intelligence Technologies
Mr.Raja Seevan, Director and Founder Truster Indian CST
- Streamlining of Public Health data from Rural Hospitals in India
Dr. Biju Soman, SET Institute for Sciences and Technology, TVM.
- Image Analysis and its application to Health Informatics
Ms Kerthana Prasad, Asst. Professor, Manipal Institute of Technology
· Maximizing Benefits of RFID integration in Hospitals – a structure case for management
Ms Chandana Unnithan,
Deakin University,
A Report
Health Informatics is an upcoming multidisciplinary area combining information technology and health care. It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information in health and biomedicine. Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems.
We had speakers from various academic institutions, software industry and health care professionals. A display of fitness products were also arranged by Wafi Fitness Equipments, Cochin. All the sessions were quite informative and were well received by our students who became aware of the opportunities available for them in the area of Health informatics . A summary of the presentations are given below:-
Effective Management in Public Health: the role of Health Informatics
Dr. Ajith.N.Babu, Associate Professor, St.Louis University, USA
As per Dr. Ajith, often in the case of Public Health, important actions are taken only after the action has already occurred; i.e actions are reactive rather than preventive. Other bottlenecks exist as in data which is collected does not move up the ladder and reach the officials in time. This trend needs to change and we need to access the vital information in time. It is in this context that HI becomes a useful tool. Electronic data if used in collection, will enable easy transfer and will provide additional benefits like ease in prediction, increased accuracy of forecasts etc. To increase the predictive capability we can do modeling like Multivariate data modeling and we can keep modifying the variables to recognize the key elements etc. IT allows us to simulate rather than wait and hence we can save millions of lives in the process.
Data warehousing capabilities enable consolidation of information from different streams. It allows us to identify the right ways to allot the budget granted for the health sector. Another benefit would be cost-effectiveness which can be attained through optimization of resources. Lot of the information related to work and research can be stored in repositories. We can have DB for regional, national and international levels. Tools like IDSP-Integrated Data Surveillance Program are used to find out conditions of diseases like malaria etc. All this is possible because of information sharing. EHR’s or Electronic Health Records are effective ways of information storage and even though at present this system has not been developed completely, the Government is trying to push forward such reform measures and take positive steps towards HI.
HI can also bring about revolution in the field of medical education with the usage of animation software’s and multimedia, continuous discussion and almost an unlimited access to discussions and study materials.
Internet is one of the greatest inventions of the modern era and we need to make full utilization of it for enabling health facilities to reach out to every part of the globe. HI can bring about an effective management in the realm of Public health which needs to undergo transformations as soon as possible to meet the requirements of the present society.
1. Health Informatics
Dr. B.Radhakrishnan
Principal and Director. Academy of medical science, Kannur
In earlier 1980s India followed preventive health care strategies which aimed at preventing diseases. This strategy started in 1847 in UK. But now India is following curative strategies which aimed at controlling a disease after its occurrence. Main reason for this change is lack of money.
Following are the different names used for health care informatics: Medical computing, Medical Computer Science, Computer Medicine, Medical Computer Technology, Medical computer Technology, Medical Software Engineering.
In 1960 when first generation computers were developed, it started applying in health care. Three area of informatics are data, information, and intelligence. Data is without any meaning .When data get modified it forms to information. If information with social, financial or political sense attached to it, it became intelligence. Information in health informatics is obtained from world regulatory bodies like WHO, central and state regulatory authorities.
Health Informatics is used to know health status of a particular location. Health Informatics can be used in planning of resource allocation and research. To bring IT in public Health care system there should be strong motivation. Motivation is needed to people who take part in decision making in Administrative level.
“How could we implement and how fast we could we implement is important in Health care informatics”
Concluded the talk by highlighting following four points:
· India is less affluent country
· We are focusing more on curative medicine than preventive medicine.
· We may able to use Health Informatics for benefit of public health within next five years.
· Equal amount of money should spend on both preventive and curative strategies and both domestic and international data should be used in Health Informatics.
2. Business Intelligence Technologies
By Mr.Raja Seevan
Director and Founder Truster Indian CST
Web based Project Management and Health System Implementation is a Human Intelligence and Life Science Division. Talked about the current scenario in Health Care Industry and the future trends in health, what strategies we need to take and the projects initiated and done by the Division
In present scenario, deaths due to Tuberculosis – US $ 3 billion loss
Deaths due to Malaria - US $ 1billion loss
Current e- governance system is not efficient; Indians didn’t have a single Operating System connecting all parts of India. The expenses in R& D pharma are more or less same, but not much growth is achieved. In India out of 130 crore people, only 2% can afford medication even though govt reduced cost of some essential medicine. Currently India spends $ 22.7 billion for health care, which contributes to 5.2% of GDP. The Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh stressed on the need of project medical structure for the country. A report tells that 56% don’t have access to essential drugs.
The Web based Project Management and Health System Implementation is and now undertaking 20,000 projects. Objectives of the system is to integrate GIS, building alliance and partners with public, with private non Govt and International organisation, managing maternity health care etc. The company not only undertaking health care related projects but also undertaking project management for NRGEA, BBMP, all govt department, Unique ID enrollment.
Projects successfully completed are Integrated Gene information Repository , Bio Suite Software, Gene Cluster.
Currently developing systems are Open Source Drug Discovery (includes entire patient information – clinical data, investigated details, conversation between Doctor and patient_ all integrated + drug side effects which will help later on studies). Man power demand in this sector will double up in 7 years and India needs a dynamic approach to meet the need of the people
3. Streamlining of Public Health data from Rural Hospitals in India
Dr. Biju Soman
SET Institute for Sciences and Technology, TVM.
The talk was all about the advantages of informatics on the people of rural India.
The outline of the talk was:
1. The health Scenario in India
2. Students Inititaive
3. Future and ongoing activities.
Health scenario In India:
Southern states are performing better than the northern parts in terms of Infant mortality rate, birth rate and sex ratio. Infant mortality rate is a good indicator of health literacy, and a sound government system. In addition to this, socio economic indications were also monitored. Earlier communicable diseases (TYPE 1) caused a lot of mortality. 55% of the diseases are caused by degenerative diseases (TYPE 2). Third most common cause of disease is caused sue to injuries. India is going into the triple burden of these diseases. Many of the funding agencies wanted to put aside money for TYPE 2 diseases.
Student Initiative:
Many technological advancements can come up with solutions. Students can be thought on the socio- cultural aspects of technology; i.e. students can be taught to use technology with compassion. A field work was conducted by the students to find out what happens at the grass root level. The findings of the study were:
1. There was duplication of work.
2. 18- 23 registers had to be maintained.
3. Duplication led to inefficiency
Health Information System Project India (HISP India) was used, which is open source software. This was used from local to national level. 19 computers were provided to the Health Centres.
Solutions:
A onetime data entry was suggested. And every variable should contribute to at least one health indicator. Every data should be linked with other. The data should be grouped at the PHC and the district level. The data should be processed. The doctors can do the analysis and data mining from this data. The software would enable the workers at the grass root level to analyse their work.
Learnings:
1. Appreciate people’s intuitions
2. The Play of power, authority and responsibility.
3. Scare of technology and cynicism.
4. Socio cultural ethos affects adoption of technology.
5. Standardization of datasets should occur across disciplines.
6. Trans- disciplinary approach is really demanding.
Health Information tasks ahead:
1. Better information tools
2. Data policy standardization and authentication.
3. Prompt epidemiological analysis at district level.
4. Capturing morbidity data from crowded outpatient clinics.
Steps taken
1. Mobile piloting
2. Recruit epidemiologists
3. Plan to offer diploma in epidemiology
4. Looking for lab test people.
4. Image Analysis and its application to Health Informatics
Ms Kerthana Prasad
Asst. Professor, Manipal Institute of Technology
She mainly discussed about the application of various tools in Health Informatics. She stated Health Informatics as collaborative effort where observation is converted into knowledge base, further modified to make a decision. The Bayes’ Theorem is used for decision making, i.e. it helps in finding out the likelihood of particular disease to occur from its symptoms. Here manual technique for collecting and managing data may go wrong. So we can use computer algorithms for generating the pattern of the image.
Tools
BMD Scan – Image analysis tool for valuation of bone mineral density. Steoporosis is an important public health problem, where bones break down due to low mineral density. BMD Scan will check whether bones are stronger or whether bone density is higher or not. First of all awareness programme should be carried out so that patients come to hospital for checking, thus avoiding brokerage of bone.
Data mining tools can be used for automation of the identification of breast cancer. This helps in treating the disease at the early stage
Case Study:
· Image Analysis for Bone Mineral Density(BMD)
This should be diagnosed early. It’s necessary to get a cheap cost effective solution. The use of radiograph is convenient, affordable, reachable but not efficient. So image analysis was applied to the radiograph. Around 70 radiographs were studied to study the bone density. This technique is affordable, accessible and patient friendly.
· Colour Image Analysis
The tissue micro array is studied and the cells are classified into different systems. An automated system is used. This is done so that diseased conditions are treated early. A software called as tissue quant software is used for this purpose.
5. Maximizing Benefits of RFID integration in Hospitals – a structure case for management
Ms Chandana Unnithan, Deakin University, Australia
Case 1
The case is about implementing web based clinical information system by Intel in St.Vincent and Master Group hospital. The implementation was for tracking wheel chairs and equipments. But after one year the system was not used. Initially the tracking was done using pagers but now it is with password protected computers placed in a particular floor.
The problem is solved by participating the end users in implementation of new system and by providing proper training.
Case 2
Implementation of scanned medical record system at Austin
About 30 processes were involved before surgery is done. It was cut short to three. Paper work cut short into very small action on a mouse click.
Stakeholders responded to the scenario as follows: clinicians have no problem with this change. Nurses were more comfortable with the paper works. Admin staffs were threatened by loss of job.
Best recommendations for the problem are: Communicate the overall benefit of existing system and specify how it can be beneficial to them. Provide proper training. Use dummy systems to explain the functioning of new system. |
