THE INFORMATION AGES IS UPON US...AT LEAST IN THE U.S. HOWEVER, IN SOME CORNERS OF THE WORLD, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND A LIBRARY, MUCH LESS ACCESS THE VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED RESOURCES THAT IU STUDENTS AND FACULTY ENJOY AT HOME.
Inaccessibility can have far-reaching effects in the field of medicine. It is of particular concern to IU faculty involved in the Indiana University-Moi University partnership, a program designed to enhance the clinical, teaching and research skills of faculty and students at the medical school in Eldoret, Kenya. Now, with support from an NIH program grant, IU will be able to help Moi University boost its information technology.
"In this country, if you want to learn about a medical problem you go to the library," says IUSM Professor of Medicine William Tierney, MD. "But in Eldoret, they have limited library resources. With Internet technology, you don't need an actual library because you have access to a virtual library. We will supply them with the wherewithal to use the online resources."
Dr. Tierney is principal investigator for a unique National Institutes of Health grant promoting medical informatics in developing nations in Sub Saharan Africa. IUSM is the recipient of one of four grants awarded by the NIH's Fogarty International Center.
The program grant will enable IU to support Moi University with knowledge and the expertise to access, utilize and construct computer based tools to advance biomedical research and public health. Funds will also support the Regenstrief-Moi Medical Informatics Fellowship.
Medical informatics is the use of medical information to maintain and improve the quality and efficiency of health care. The category encompasses everything from an Indiana State Department of Health database on flu outbreaks, to the compilation of statistics on the effectiveness of anti-viral agents in the treatment of HIV, to research data from medical journals.
Not having information at their fingertips makes it more difficult for physicians at Moi University and elsewhere in Kenya to treat patients or, in some cases, understand the ramifications of that treatment. For instance, physicians in Kenya may treat several cases of meningitis in their region but not know how widespread the outbreak is. Being able to track that information could result in a concentration of supplies in affected areas and allow for an increase in vaccinations in areas not yet affected.
Moi University recently has secured 122 computers from sources other than IU. Part of IUSM's contribution will be to assist in training personnel at Moi to keep the computers operational. IU also will assist the Kenyan university in gaining better Internet access. That will benefit both the Kenyan faculty and students and the IUSM faculty and students at Moi. To further enhance their resources, the IUSM library will make sure its Web site has links to other sources of information that are necessary for delivering the best care and education possible.
Through the Regenstrief-Moi Medical Informatics Fellowship, IUSM will further its involvement with the Kenyan medical school by funding four Moi University faculty members to study at IUSM. One faculty member will train at IU each year and, when they return home, the fellows will develop a research project utilizing the knowledge they have gained in medical informatics during the first year of their fellowship.
IU faculty also will travel to Moi University to give a short course on medical informatics to faculty and students. In addition, IU will assist Moi faculty in developing a Department of Medical Informatics.
Other IU personnel involved in the project are Fran Brahmi, interim director of the IUSM library; Beverly Hill, EdD, director of the Medical Education Resources Program; Hassan Danesh, PhD, assistant director of development and CME, MERP; Joyce Dobson, program manager of the IUSM-Moi University partnership; and Robert Einterz, MD, who is program director of the IUSM-Moi University partnership and co-director of the medical informatics grant with Dr. Tierney.