What is Health Informatics?
Health and biomedical informatics is the body of knowledge that concerns the acquisition, storage, retrieval and use of information in, about and for human health, and the design and management of related information systems to advance the understanding and practice of healthcare.
The discipline of health and biomedical informatics sits at the intersection of at least four fields of research – health science, computer science, information science and knowledge management.
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Research News
Call for Papers - HIKM 2014 - Auckland, New Zealand
The 7th Annual Australasian Workshop on Health Informatics and Knowledge Management (HIKM), an established forum held annually as part of Australasian Computer Science Week, will be held 20-23rd January 2014. The Co-chairs, Jim Warren (University of Auckland) and Kathleen Gray (University of Melbourne) have put out a call for submissions - more information on the Conference website
Exploring Information, Interface & Interaction in Blended Environments
- Public Testing Phase: Participants Needed! -
Researchers on this project are currently testing the prototype Mobile Augmented Reality application in Melbourne's 'Parkville Precinct' for healthcare and biomedical science research. Utilising GPS and inbuilt tablet/smartphone cameras, the aim is to connect the wider community in Parkville with the scientific community by linking information about and produced from, a particular building or site. If you have ever wondered "What happens in there?", check out the invite and you can try using an app for that!
Download the invite for more information about participating in the public testing and get in touch.
You can also read the MAR Whitepaper from IBES.
Education
Enrol in eHealth and Biomedical Informatics Subjects
2013 enrolments are open for our core eHealth and Biomedical Informatics subjects for graduate study.
ISYS90069 eHealth & Biomedical Informatics SYSTEMS
SYSTEMS classes will meet on campus from 1 July to 25 July, 430 - 900 PM each Monday and Thursday. SYSTEMS introduces current approaches and future directions in eHealth and the use of ICT in healthcare generally as well as key concepts and tools from the underlying discipline of health informatics. Topics include electronic health records (EHRs); hospital and primary care and public health information systems; supporting clinical decision-making for health professionals through ICT; eHealth in the community for preventive healthcare and for patient and carer support; regulatory influences on eHealth including management and governance, privacy, security, and confidentiality; the role of data standards, vocabularies, and nomenclatures in eHealth; research and development in eHealth.
INFO90001 eHealth & Biomedical Informatics METHODS
METHODS classes will meet on campus from 28 October to 28 November, 530 - 900 PM each Monday and Thursday. METHODS develops familiarity with some core informatics tools and methods used in ehealth, translational research, simulation and modelling, biomedical knowledge management. SYSTEMS is a prerequisite for METHODS although exemptions may be given for equivalent education or work experience.
Students in the Master of IT (Health) must take these subjects. Masters students from Information Systems, Public Health, Nursing and other degrees may take them as electives. If you are not currently a student you can enrol in them as single subjects through the Community Access Program.
Please contact health-informatics@unimelb.edu.au for more information or for advice on how to enrol.
Master of IT - Specialisation in Health
Starting this year, the Melbourne Schools of Medicine and Information will be teaching a groundbreaking new education program within the Master of Information Technology, MIT (Health). Currently demand for Health IT specialists is far in advance of supply and this need for expertise will continue to grow. This program will give students the skills required to work in this exciting field. Please see the flyer: Download MIT - Health Flyer
Scholarly Selective Projects
HBIRU are offering 3 Scholarly Selective research project options this year. These are open to 3rd and 4th year Doctor of Medicine students only, but the database can be searched by anyone; so if you are interested, have a look
Research Projects
Health Service Provider Data Connectivity Requirements: Mapping a Path for a Broadband-Enabled Healthcare Future
This important project has been funded under the IBES Seed Funding call, to analyse the data connectivity requirements for high-speed broadband in the health sector over the next 5 to 10 years to support new and emerging services such as telemedicine, electronic health records, e-learning, and participatory and personalised medicine.
Smart Companion: medication management for patients and older people with chronic illness
This project is developing a prototype 'smart' medicine shelf for patients that integrates information with support networks, clinicians, and carers, through the use of RFID and broadband technologies. This concept aims to improve prescription adherence via reminding patients as well as information sharing with the patient's carers and clinicians.
SELF-OMICS: addressing the information & communication needs of the quantified individual for enabling participatory & personalised medicine.
IBES and HBIRU are increasing our understanding of personalised medicine and participatory medicine through the new seed funded project, SELF-OMICS. This project will measure, monitor and analyse genetic, environmental, physiological and psychological data to explore the data transmission and processing requirements, and the role of social media in personalised and participatory medicine.