defining biomedical informatics and its relationship to dental research and practice edward h....
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Defining Biomedical Informatics and its Relationship to Dental Research and Practice
Edward H. Shortliffe, MD, PhDCollege of Physicians & Surgeons
Columbia University
Dental Informatics & Dental Research: Making the Connection
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MarylandJune 12, 2003
What is Medical Informatics?
The scientific field that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and optimal use of biomedical information, data, and knowledge for problem solving and decision making.
Medical informatics touches on all basic and applied fields in biomedical science and is closely tied to modern information technologies, notably in the areas of computing and communication.
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Basic Research
Applied Research
Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Public Health
ClinicalMedicine
Nursing
Veterinary Medicine
Dentistry
Molecular Biology
Visualization
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Basic Research
Applied Research
Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Public Health Informatics
ClinicalMedicine
Informatics
Nursing Informatics
Veterinary Informatics
Dental Informatics
Bioinformatics
Imaging Informatics
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Basic Research
Applied Research
Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Public Health Informatics
ClinicalMedicine
Informatics
Nursing Informatics
Veterinary Informatics
Dental Informatics
Bioinformatics
Imaging Informatics
ClinicalClinical
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Basic Research
Applied Research
Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Public Health Informatics
ClinicalInformatics
BioinformaticsImaging
Informatics
Medical InformaticsMedical Informatics
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Basic Research
Applied Research
Medical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Imaging Informatics
Clinical Informatics
BioinformaticsPublic Health Informatics
Molecular andCellular
Processes
Tissues andOrgans
Individuals(Patients)
PopulationsAnd Society
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Medical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Imaging Informatics
Clinical Informatics
BioinformaticsPublic Health Informatics
Medical Informatics in Perspective
Medical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Imaging Informatics
Clinical InformaticsBioinformatics
Public Health Informatics
Bioinformatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
??
??
Biomedical
??
Biomedical Informatics in Perspective
Basic Research
Applied Research
Biomedical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Imaging Informatics
Clinical Informatics
BioinformaticsPublic Health Informatics
Molecular andCellular
Processes
Tissues andOrgans
Individuals(Patients)
PopulationsAnd Society
Examples of Growing Synergies Between Clinical and Bio- Informatics
• Applications at the intersection of genetic and phenotypic data
– e.g., pharmacogenomics
– e.g., identification of patient subgroups
• Shared methodologies with broad applicability
– e.g., natural language and text processing
– e.g., cognitive modeling of human-computer interaction
– e.g., imaging (organs, biomolecular, 3D)
– e.g., inferring structure from primary data
– e.g., data mining (knowledge extraction) from large datasets
Journal of Biomedical Informatics
• Formerly “Computers and Biomedical Research”
• Volume 36 in 2003
• Emphasizes methodologic innovation rather than applications, although all innovations are motivated by applied biomedical goals
Biomedical Informatics in Perspective
Biomedical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Applied Informatics
BiomedicalDomain
Contributes to….
Draws upon….
ComputerScience
Draw upon….
Contribute to...
DecisionScience
CognitiveScience
InformationSciences
ManagementSciences
OtherComponent
Sciences
Core of Biomedical Informatics As An Academic Discipline
BiomedicalKnowledge
BiomedicalData
KnowledgeBase
DataBase
InferencingSystem
Biomedical Informatics Research Areas
BiomedicalKnowledge
BiomedicalData
KnowledgeBase
InferencingSystem
DataBase
DataAcquisition
BiomedicalResearch
Planning &Data Analysis
KnowledgeAcquisition
TeachingHumanInterface
TreatmentPlanning
DiagnosisInformationRetrieval
ModelDevelopment
ImageGeneration
Real-time acquisitionImagingSpeech/language/textSpecialized input devices
Machine learningText interpretationKnowledge engineering
Examples from a Recent Columbia Retreat: Cross Cutting Methodologies
• Natural language and text processing• Knowledge representation and
structuring / ontology development• Cognitive science in biomedical
informatics• Data mining• 3-dimensional modeling
Biomedical Informatics in Perspective
Bioinformatics
Structural Biology, Genetics,Molecular Biology
Contributes to….
Draws upon….
Draw upon….
Contribute to...
ComputerScience,DecisionScience,CognitiveScience,
InformationSciences,
ManagementSciencesand other
ComponentSciences
Biomedical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Dental Informatics
• Significant opportunities for research across the spectrum of biomedical informatics application areas (bioinformatics, imaging, clinical, public health)
• Challenges exist that can help to drive innovation and scientific contributions in biomedical informatics and in other, non-biomedical, areas of application
Biomedical Informatics in Perspective
Dental Informatics
Oral Medicine, Dentistry,
Craniofacial Surgery, Dental
Research
Contributes to….
Draws upon….
Draw upon….
Contribute to...
ComputerScience,DecisionScience,CognitiveScience,
InformationSciences,
ManagementSciencesand other
ComponentSciences
Biomedical Informatics Methods, Techniques, and Theories
Challenges For Academic Informatics
• Explaining that there are fundamental research issues in the field in addition to applications and tool building
• Finding the right mix between research/training and service requirements
• Developing and nurturing the diverse collegial and scientific relationships typical of an interdisciplinary field
Academic Informatics: Lessons We Have Learned
• Service activities can stimulate new research and educational opportunities
• Need to have enough depth in faculty to span a range of skills and professional orientations
• Need to protect students from projects on critical paths to meeting service requirements
• Institutional support and commitment are crucial
–Financial stability
–Visibility and credibility with colleagues in other health science departments and schools
Training FutureBiomedical Informatics Professionals
The Problem:There are too few trained professionals, knowledgeable about both biomedicine and the component sciences in biomedical informatics
The Solution:Formal training in biomedical informatics, with the definition of a core discipline and specialized elective opportunities
Curriculum Development
Perspective of our Department of Biomedical Informatics
• Basic objectives: fundamental areas of biomedicine, computer science and mathematics that are prerequisites for further study in Biomedical Informatics
• Core objectives: essential skills required by all Biomedical Informatics students
• General objectives: ability to conduct research and participate in the educational activities of the field
• Specialized objectives: application of general methods and theories in at least one of four different areas: bioinformatics, imaging informatics, clinical informatics, and public health informatics
Biomedical Informatics Disciplines
BiomedicalInformatics
Cognitive Science& Decision Making
ManagementSciences
ClinicalTopics
Basic BiomedicalSciences
EpidemiologyAnd Statistics
Bioengineering
Computer Science
(hardware)
Computer Science
(software)
Biomedical Informatics Curriculum
Major subject areas:
1. Biomedical Informatics
2. Biomedicine
3. Computer Science
4. Decision and Cognitive Sciences
5. Public Policy and Social Issues
1. Biomedical Informatics Courses
• Computer applications in health care
• Computer-assisted medical decision making
• Bioinformatics (computational biology)
• Biomedical imaging (imaging informatics)
• Programming projects course
• Weekly student seminars (topic review or research report by students)
• Weekly research colloquium
• Biomedical informatics “civics”
Medical Informatics Textbook
(2nd edition)
Springer Verlag - 2000
Biomedical Informatics Textbook
(3rd
edition)
Bio
2004?
Program Characteristics
Steady-state program size: 45-50 students
– Dental informatics postdocs
3 students
Applications per year: ~130 candidates
Admissions per year: 8-10 students
Principal faculty: 30
Participating and consulting faculty: ~20
Trainees generally supported on a training grant, as graduate research assistants on sponsored projects, or as teaching assistants
Doctoral Research in Informatics
• Although they are inspired by biomedical application goals, dissertations in biomedical informatics must:
–offer methodological innovation, not simply interesting programming artifacts
–generalize to other domains, within or outside biomedicine
• Inherently interdisciplinary, biomedical informatics provides bridging expertise and opportunities for collaboration between computer scientists and biomedical researchers and practitioners
Career Paths for Biomedical Informatics Professionals
• Academic biomedical informatics research and development, and educational support
• Clinical, administrative, and educational management
• Operational service management
• Health system chief information officer or medical/nursing director for information technology
• Digital library development and implementation
• Corporate research and development
• Biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies
Trends
• Creation of several new biomedical informatics departments or independent academic units
• Reasonably strong job market for graduates of informatics degree programs
• Government investment in training and research is reasonably strong, especially for applications and demonstrations
• Increasing acceptance of biomedical informatics as an emerging subspecialty area by biomedical professional societies
• Increasing recognition that biomedical problems can drive the development of basic theory and capabilities in information technology research