The International Partnership for Health Informatics Education

M. W. M. Jaspers; R. M. Gardner; L. C. Gatewood; R. Haux; D. Schmidt; T. Wetter

doi:10.1055/s-0038-1633919

Methods of Information in Medicine, Table of Contents

Methods Inf Med 2005; 44(01): 25-31
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1633919

Original Article

Schattauer GmbH

The International Partnership for Health Informatics Education

Lessons Learned from Six Years of Experience

Authors

M. W. M. Jaspers

¹Dept. of Medical Informatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
R. M. Gardner

²Dept. of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
L. C. Gatewood

³Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Health Computer Sciences, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
R. Haux

⁴Institute for Health Information Systems, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology (UMIT), Innsbruck, Austria

⁵new address: Institute for Medical Informatics, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany
D. Schmidt

⁶Dept. of Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences, Heilbronn, Germany
T. Wetter

⁷Dept. of Medical Informatics, Institute for Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidel-berg, Germany

Abstract

Summary

Objectives: To inform the medical and health informatics community on the rational, goals, and the achievements of the International Partnership for Health Informatics Education – IPHIE, (IΦE), that was established at six universities in 1999.

Methods: We elaborate on the overall goals of IΦE and describe the current state of affairs: the activities undertaken and faculty and student experience related to these activities. In addition we outline the lessons we have learned over these past six years and our plans for the future.

Results: IΦE members first started to collaborate by supporting and encouraging the exchange of talented students and faculty and by establishing joint master classes for honors students. Following the success of these activities, new initiatives were undertaken such as the organization of student workshops at medical informatics conferences and a joint course on strategic information management in hospitals in Europe.

Conclusions: International partnerships such as IΦE take time to establish, and, if they are to be successful, maintaining leadership continuity is critically important. We are convinced that IΦE promotes professionalism of future medical informatics specialists. There will be a continuing growth of globalization in higher education. It will therefore become increasingly important to offer educational programs with international components.

Keywords

Health informatics - medical informatics - international educational exchange

Full Text

References

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