Open Access
Yearb Med Inform 2005; 14(01): 173-182
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1638240
Research and Education
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart

Achievements after Six Years of The International Partnership for Health Informatics Education[**]

M. W. M. Jaspers
a   Department of Medical Informatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
,
R. M. Gardner
b   Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
,
L. C. Gatewood
c   Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Health Computer Sciences, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
,
R. Haux
d   Institute for Health Information Systems, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology (UMIT), Innsbruck, Austria
e   new address: Institute for Medical Informatics, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany
,
D. Schmidt
f   Department of Medical Informatics, University of Applied Sciences, Heilbronn, Germany
,
T. Wetter
g   Department of Medical Informatics, Institute for Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Germany
› Author Affiliations

We gratefully acknowledge the funding of part of the IΦE program by the European Union (SOCRATES Intensive Programs) and by Land Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg-Stipendium). It is further impossible to thank all persons who contributed to or participated in one of the activities of IΦE. Therefore, we gratefully acknowledge the contributions of all the students, faculty, and administrators of our partnership since it began in 1999.
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
06 March 2018 (online)

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Abstract

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: The University of Amsterdam, the Universities of Heidelberg and Heilbronn, the University of Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology at Innsbruck, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Utah.

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 seeks to maintain, improve and promote medical and health informatics education through international collaboration of graduate and baccalaureate programs in medical and health informatics. 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.

** Updated version of a paper that appeared in Methods of Information in Medicine 2005; 44(1):25-31.