Second Call – Health Informatics South Africa (HISA) 2013 Conference: Submissions Close 22 April

HISA 2013 Scientific Programme Committee Chair, Dr Nicky Mostert-Phipps (nicky.mostert[at]nmmu.ac.za), announces that the South African Computer Journal, the official journal of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists and accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training, will invite submission of the best papers from the conference, based on recommendations from the scientific programme committee. These papers will be reviewed to the journal’s standards, and must contain at least 30% additional material. Reviewing for the journal will be expedited to ensure publication of papers that do not require substantial changes in a special edition of SACJ in July 2013. SACJ is an open access journal with no cost for readers, enhancing your chances of being read and cited. To cover publication costs, the journal levies an open access charge, which can be waived for authors unable to fund such charges (usually met by university research offices, based on expected income from subsidized publications).

The South African Health Informatics Association (SAHIA – http://www.sahia.org.za) are pleased to announce their HISA 2013 conference. Full information is on the conference website – http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za  Or download the PDF file : [Second Call PDF, 528kb]

The closing date for submissions is 22 April, 2013. (Notification of acceptance/rejection by end of May.)

Registration dates:
Early bird registration closes on 31 March 2013
Standard registration: 1 April 2013 – 31 May 2013
Late registration: 1 June 2013 – 2 July 2013

HISA 2013 will be held on 03-05 July 2013 at the NMMU North Campus Conference Centre in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The School of ICT from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University will host the conference, which will take place at the University’s conference center facilities in Summerstrand.

The conference theme will be “Empowering patients and healthcare professionals with information and technologies”. The conference website (http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za) has full information.

The conference will be organized around the following major tracks:

• Health Information, Systems and Technologies
• e-Health in Africa
• Medical Imaging Informatics
• Nursing Informatics
• Telemedicine and m-Health

Submissions will be welcome in the form of peer-reviewed research papers, case studies, panels and workshops. Details of the Call and submission templates are at http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za/Call-for-Submissions

For more information, contact Prof Dalenca Pottas , Chair: Local Organizing Committee (dalenca.pottas[at]nmmu.ac.za) or Dr Nicky Mostert-Phipps, Chair: Scientific Programme Committee (nicky.mostert[at]nmmu.ac.za).

Health Informatics South Africa (HISA) 2013 Conference: Submissions Close 22 April

The South African Health Informatics Association (SAHIA – http://www.sahia.org.za) are pleased to announce that their HISA 2013 conference.

Full information is on the conference website – http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za The closing date for submissions is 22 April, 2013. [Call PDF; 57kb]

HISA 2013 will be held on 03-05 July 2013 at the NMMU North Campus Conference Centre in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The School of ICT from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University will host the conference, which will take place at the University’s conference center facilities in Summerstrand.

The conference theme will be “Empowering patients and healthcare professionals with information and technologies”. The conference website (http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za) has full information.

The conference will be organized around the following major tracks:

• Health Information, Systems and Technologies
• e-Health in Africa
• Medical Imaging Informatics
• Nursing Informatics
• Telemedicine and m-Health

Submissions will be welcome in the form of peer-reviewed research papers, case studies, panels and workshops. Details of the Call and submission templates are at http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za/Call-for-Submissions

For more information, contact Prof Dalenca Pottas , Chair: Local Organizing Committee (dalenca.pottas[at]nmmu.ac.za) or Dr Nicky Mostert-Phipps, Chair: Scientific Programme Committee (nicky.mostert[at]nmmu.ac.za).

HISA 2013 Conference: Port Elizabeth, South Africa; 03-05 July, 2013

The South African Health Informatics Association (SAHIA – http://www.sahia.org.za) are pleased to announce that their HISA 2013 conference will be held on 03-05 July 2013 at the NMMU North Campus Conference Centre in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) will be hosting the event.

The conference theme will be “Empowering patients and healthcare professionals with information and technologies”. The conference website (http://hisa.nmmu.ac.za) will go live on Monday, 21 January 2013. Registration will open and the call for submissions will go out on the same day. Submissions in the form of research papers, case study presentations, posters, and workshops will be invited.

The conference will be organized around the following major tracks:

• Health Information, Systems and Technologies
• e-Health in Africa
• Medical Imaging Informatics
• Nursing Informatics
• Telemedicine and m-Health

For more information, contact Prof Dalenca Pottas , Chair: Local Organizing Committee (dalenca.pottas[at]nmmu.ac.za) or Dr Nicky Mostert-Phipps, Chair: Scientific Programme Committee (nicky.mostert[at]nmmu.ac.za).

Sedick Isaacs Has Passed Away (Update)

It is with deep regret that we inform you that Sedick Isaacs passed away on October 18th, at the age of 72 after a short illness.

Many of you will remember Sedick well, and that we awarded him IMIA Honorary fellowship at the Cape Town GA in recognition of all his contributions. Sedick was a driving force behind the development of health informatics in South Africa, in Africa though HELINA, and internationally – in addition to the contributions and sacrifices he made for the freedom of his country, especially during the time he was imprisoned on Robben Island.

Dr. Ghislain Kouematchoua, IMIA Vice President for HELINA, writes that “Dr. Isaacs was HELINA’s founding President and very strongly contributed to the development of Health Informatics in Africa. His work for the development of Health Informatics in Africa is highly acknowledged by the International Medical Informatics Association and many African Societies for Health Informatics.”

HELINA have opened an online condolences book via their website, which also contains a short biography of Sedick – see http://www.helina-online.org/

See also http://www.vocfm.co.za/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=tag&tag=Prof+Dr+Sedick+Isaacs&Itemid=131 for information about Sedick.

Also: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/tributes-pour-in-for-struggle-veteran-1.1406807

If you have personal memories of Sedick that you wish us to add here, or to add to formal condolences we send to his family on behalf of IMIA and the international community, please send them to imia@imia-services.org

L: Sedick with Ghislain at Medinfo2010 in Cape Town – R: Sedick at Robben Island Gateway, Sept, 2010.

Inaugural Professorial Lecture, Prof. Graham Wright, WSU, South Africa

Prof. Graham Wright (past UK representative to IMIA and IMIA-NI, and past Chair of the IMIA Open Source Working Group) delivered his inaugural professorial lecture at the Mthatha Health Resource Centre (Walter Sisulu University, and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital), Mthatha, South Africa on 25 July, 2012. Graham is Research Champion and Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa. His topic was “Developing health informatics as a new scientific discipline”. Attendees as special invited guests included Dr Peter Murray, IMIA CEO; Dr Lyn Hanmer, IMIA Secretary; Brenda Faye, IMIA Virtual Office Support Co-ordinator; many of Graham’s WSU health informatics graduates; and representatives of WSU.

A downloadable PDF version of the lecture is available here (3MB).

The video-presentation of the lecture is now available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7emfO2oR9s

Some Short News Items: Miscellany

August issue of the WHO Bulletin

The August 2012 issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization is now available at http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/8/en/index.html

The Bulletin is available in a variety of different formats, including on electronic publishing devices, Kindle readers and as a Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) digital talking book. Abstracts and other items are available in عربي‎, 中文, Français, Русский and Español. The DAISY digital format assists people who have challenges using regular printed media. DAISY digital talking books offer the benefits of regular audiobooks, but also include navigation. For more information about Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) digital talking book, see http://www.daisy.org

Among content highlights:

EDITORIAL   Trans-disciplinary research to improve health systems’ disaster readiness and response – Samantha Watson et al. doi: 10.2471/BLT.12.106120

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW   A systematic review of Demographic and Health Surveys: data availability and utilization for research – Madeleine Short Fabic et al. doi: 10.2471/BLT.11.095513

PERSPECTIVES   The role of biomedical engineering in disaster management in resource-limited settings – Andrea Fernandes & Muhammad H Zaman doi: 10.2471/BLT.12.104901

An informatics agenda for public health: summarized recommendations from the 2011 AMIA PHI Conference

AMIA announces that this publication (by Barbara L Massoudi, Kenneth W Goodman, Ivan J Gotham, John H Holmes, Lisa Lang, Kathleen Miner, David D Potenziani, Janise Richards, Anne M Turner, Paul C Fu) is now online, freely accessible on the JAMIA website. PHI 2011 convened dedicated individuals to work together on a shared vision to take public health to the next level of critical development through Public Health Informatics. Nationally known experts gathered to focus on key areas of public health informatics including ethics, technical frameworks, professional training and workforce development, research and evaluation and sustainability. Participants revisited the national agenda developed at the AMIA Spring Congress in 2001, assessed the progress that has been made in the past decade, and developed recommendations to further guide the field. Participants identified 62 recommendations. See the article on the JAMIA website.

 

Survey Request on Innovative eHealth Insurance: Net.Insurance Project

Our colleague Eustache Muteba Ayumba, Corresponding Member of IMIA in DR Congo, requests assistance in completion of an online survey about a new project in which he is leading.

The Innovative eHealth Insurance: Net.Insurance Project concerns the development of innovative eHealth technologies that are products and services of an online international health insurance. The online international health insurance aims to guarantee medical treatment in case of illness to their policyholders in their countries or when they travel outside of their home countries. Setting up such insurance systems to provide coverage against the financial, social and health risks of illness are core elements of social protection in developing countries.

Eustache would greatly appreciate if you complete the questionnaire, and spread the words among your colleagues -  at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2HQ7GPT

The project was recognised by a European Commission Award presented at the recent 2012 Med-e-Tel conference in Luxembourg. See also http://emuteba.webs.com/ for information and the project website at http://emuteba.webs.com/netinsurance.htm

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Health Informatics, South Africa

The Institute for ICT Advancement, School of ICT, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa is seeking suitable candidates for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Health Informatics.

Position: An important reason for the failure of Health Information Technology (HIT) solutions is that the original design does not reflect the work practices and social relations amongst its users. This also leads to low utilization levels of ‘‘successful’’ HITs, which means that the solution is not utilized meaningfully. This has been shown to be inherent to the complex nature of the healthcare environment.

This fellowship is focused on improving adoption and meaningful use of Health Information Technology (HIT) solutions, with special emphasis on Home-Based Healthcare (HBHC).

Candidates with an information technology background, but strong interest/experience in health informatics are encouraged to apply. Candidates with a nursing (or other relevant) background, but a strong interest in HITs, can also apply.

Research: The research will be conducted together with students in the Health Informatics research group within the School of ICT (www.nmmu.ac.za/sict).

The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to contribute significantly to:

a. The publication of research outputs from current and previous projects;
b. Daily supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate student projects;
c. Strengthening of collaboration with partners (eg healthcare providers); and
d. Conducting and leading fieldwork at a local NGO (specifically in the HBHC context).

Requirements: A Ph.D. Information Technology/Nursing Informatics/Medical Informatics or other relevant field, obtained within the past five years, with a strong background and/or interest in health information technologies (HITs).

Applications: A covering letter and curriculum vitae, including all research outputs and experience should be sent to Prof Dalenca Pottas in electronic format at e-mail: dalenca[at]nmmu.ac.za.

Posting information courtesy of Prof. Graham Wright, Research Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa.

HELINA 2011: Conference Presentations Available

HELINA 2011, the 7th Health Informatics in Africa Conference, was held on  28th – 30th November 2011 in Yaounde, Cameroon, with the theme “Health Information Systems: Scaling up solutions to transform healthcare delivery in Africa”.

PDF versions of the conference presentations are available for download at the HELINA website – see http://www.helina-online.org or direct at http://www.helina-online.org/en/conferences/handouts.html

Among the presentations available, which address health informatics experiences from a wide range of African countries, are:

• Ethical issues in telemedicine – Dr Walinjom FT Muna, Cameroon Association for Telemedicine
• National roll out of District Health Information Software (DHIS 2), central server and cloud based infrastructure in Kenya, 2011 – Ayub Manya, Ministry of Health, Kenya
• Interoperability and Standards – Dr Christopher Seebregts, Medical Research Council, South Africa
• Integrated HIS architecture of interoperable systems: Sierra Leone and West Africa- Johan Saebo, Edem Kossi, Jorn Braa
• Health Informatics Capacity Development through South-South, North-South and South-North Collaboration: The INDEHELA Experience – Mikko Korpela (Finland), Retha de la Harpe (South Africa), Emilio Mosse (Mozambique) and Abimbola Soriyan (Nigeria).

HELINA Conference 2011 Update – Yaoundé, Cameroon

The HELINA 2011 conference “Health Information Systems: Scaling up solutions to transform healthcare delivery in Africa” – the 7th Health Informatics in Africa Conference – will take place on 28th – 30th November 2011 at Hôtel Aurelia Palace, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Updated information is available on the conference website at http://www.helina-online.org

Full papers of accepted abstracts can be uploaded on the conference management tool available at www.helina-online.org until November 4th 2011.

The website also has information on the tentative programme, hotels close to the conference venue, and other practical information for participants.

A tutorial in Health Information System and Electronic Health Records is planned on the second day of the conference (Tuesday 29th November 2011) with:
- Dr. Rosemary Foster,
- Dr. Ghislain Kouematchoua,
- Dr. Christopher Seebregts and
- Dr. Sven Abraham.

During the tutorial, a live demonstration of the Open Medical records system OpenMRS will be provided by:
- Pascal Brandt (Jembi Health Information System, South Africa) and
- Patrick Tchakounte (Koegni-eHealth Innovation for Development e.V. Germany).

For further information, see the HELINA wbsite or contact: helina2011@helina-online.org