ICML 2009: Great Hall 1 Session 39

Theme: Health Information

Time: 11.00-12.30
Date: Friday 5th September 2009
Chair: Jill Buckley-Smith

Studies of Chinese Digital Medical Information metadata
Dong-ping Zhu, Dept. of Medical Informatics, Fuzhou General Hospital, China
Presented By: Wenju Zhang, Medical Library of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, China

Dong-ping Zhu is the Deputy Director of Dept. of Medical Informatics, Fuzhou General Hospital, China. She has worked at the Dept. for about 25 years.

Mr. Zhang was originally trained as a medical librarian, receiving a BA in the early 1980s and MS in late 1980s. He is in charge of Database Research and Development Section in Medical Library of Chinese People’s Liberation Army. He is now the Editor in Chief of Chinese Journal of Medical Library and Information Science. Mr. Zhang is the Secretary General of China Hospital Library Association, and a Member of Council of Library Society of China. In 2005, he began to be a Standing Committee Member of IFLA Health Section.

Abstract:
Background: Using metadata to solve the discrepancy between the exploding medical information and the low efficiency of organizing and retrieving such information is an interesting topic.

Purpose: Establish a set of metadata application schema by using DC metadata in organizing and dealing with Chinese digital medical information metadata(named CDMI-m), which is in accordance with the characteristics of contemporary medical information and is applicable to network and digital medical information resources.

Method: (1) This thesis gives a general survey of the development of medical information organization and data description. (2) Four major medical metadata projects in the world are introduced and their similarities and differences are explained. (3) Put forward the framework of CDMI-m based on the theories and practice stated above. (4) To construct the CDMI-m, elements of medical information are embedded in DC metadata semantic framework. Detailed description and analysis are given to all core elements by using DC qualifier. By way of reusing, extending and self-defining, definite metadata elements and self-defined elements are created, and the outline of the application of Chinese medical information metadata is thus established. (5) Through analyzing the features of the main elements in CDMI-m, this thesis for the first time proposes that EBM and HL7, both of which are closely related to clinical medicine, should be consulted and combined together.

Conclusion: The design of CDMI-m aims at seeking for new methods and ways of thinking to organize and acquire all kinds of Chinese network and digital medical information.

HINARI (Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative): Overview, Trends & Developments
Lenny Rhine, Medical Library Association//Librarians without Borders, United States

Lenny Rhine, PhD, is an Emeritus University Librarian, University of Florida. Currently, he is the coordinator of the Medical Library Association/Librarians Without Borders 'E-Library Training Initiative'. In this capacity, Lenny is a trainer and developer of training materials for HINARI. He also is the compiler of the 'Essential Health Links' gateway that includes 700+ annotated links for health professionals in low-income countries. Since 1992, Lenny has made presentations and conducted workshop on the use of IT for the delivery of health information in developing countries - in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Abstract:
Background: In the Millennium Development Goals of 2015, the United Nations has noted the need for improved access to current and relevant health information in low-income countries. The Internet is a tool for bridging the information gap between industrialized and developing countries. The HINARI program (www.who.int/hinari/) aims to connect developing world researchers with the international scientific community, reduce the ‘publishing gap’ and increase the quality of locally produced journals and, ultimately, improve health in relation to the Millennium Development Goals. Developed by WHO with major scientific/medical/technical publishers, HINARI enables low-income countries to gain access to one of the world's largest collections of biomedical and health literature via the Internet. Over 5000 e-journal titles now are available to health institutions in 113 countries. Institutions in countries with GNI per capita below $1250 are eligible for free access. Institutions in countries with GNI per capita between $1250 and $3500 pay a fee of $1000 per year / institution.

Objective: The presentation will summarize the key components of HINARI (eligibility and registration, available resources, usage options and restrictions, website structure, search tools and other features), current training activities and resources plus strategies for facilitating the use of the e-resources. Usage trends based on User Logins also will be analyzed – globally and by region.

Analysis/Conclusions: The paper will discuss the variables necessary for successful use of the program’s resources and limits within the low-income countries’ environment (electricity/hardware/bandwidth, language limitations, authentication problems, user name/password distribution, training – skills/advocacy, culture change).

Seeking Health on the Web: Health Search Engines and New Developments
Dr Tamas Doszkocs

Dr. Doszkocs is a Computer Scientist in the Specialized Information Services Division of the National Library of Medicine. His R & D interests focus on natural language processing, information retrieval and Web technologies. In prior jobs at NLM he served as Chief of the Biomedical Files Implementation Branch and Chief of the Technical Services Division. Dr. D also taught at the University of Maryland and Indiana University and had worked in private industry as a computer programmer and systems analyst. In 1979, Tamas implemented CITE, the first public access online search system to offer natural language queries, ranked output and the automatic suggestion of natural language concepts and Medical Subject Headings in searching MEDLINE and the NLM online catalog. In 1994, Tamas demonstrated the first Web interface for searching online databases (MEDLINE and TOXLINE) at the Second International World Wide Web Conference, Chicago.

Abstract:
There are many important recent content and technological advances of potential interest to the ICML community, including the emergence of semantic health search engines. This presentation will include an online demonstration of innovative health sites.