dr. guillermo j. padrón infomed, cuba [email protected]

Dr. Guillermo J. PadrónDr. Guillermo J. PadrónInfomed, Cuba

[email protected]@infomed.sld.cu

Scientific electronic publishing Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: A challenge that turned in Cuba: A challenge that turned into a wininto a win

ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

What Is Infomed?What Is Infomed?Infomed is the national telematic network of the

Public Health System in Cuba

It was created in 1992 as an answer to a crisis, but with a vision of future

It is the base for a human knowledge network for health improvement

Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a winchallenge that turned into a win

ICSEP, Valparaíso, ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002Chile, October, 2002

Infomed is a tech-based human network

Why Infomed?Why Infomed?A serious financial and economical crisis

Lack of possibilities to provide all hospitals and clinics with expensive international specialty journals

The need for integration of the Cuban Public Health System to the global network of health information



The Infomed network was created as a way of distributing the few available issues to many

Infomed MissionInfomed MissionTo create a telematic network with the best available technologies in order to promote the quality of the medical services, education, research and health management in Cuba.



The GoalThe Goal

To create an organizational framework to manage more effectively the knowledge on health , and to provide for a system of comprehensive and convenient information access. Particular emphasis is placed on providing easy ¨one-stop information shopping¨ for the user.



Action planAction plan To set up of an integrated network of accessible

health information in Cuba, based on new information technologies

To interconnect the most important Cuban health institutions and to connect them with Internet

To develop added value services in public health. From library systems to telemedicine

To integrate the Cuban public health experiences and results with global electronic networks



INFOMED’s developmentINFOMED’s developmentInfomed was developed under harsh economic

conditions, which made the acquisition of new information technology very difficult

Serious financial restrictions on investing in new technologies



Even under these conditions, the Ministry of Public Health has strongly endorsed the efforts and the vision of Infomed

On the other hand ...On the other hand ... Cuba receives solidarity from many people and

organizations in the world, and has secured important information technology resources through different projects and donations

Infomed developed important national projects in coordination with PAHO and UNDP



Strategic ComponentsStrategic ComponentsVirtual libraryVirtual UniversityTelemedicineHealth Surveillance NetworkHealth Management Network



What has been achieved ?What has been achieved ? A nationwide network with regional and provincial

nodes to expand the services throughout the country and connection to the most important networks in Cuba and to the Internet

A network with important information services available to any health care worker and institution with access to a computer and an account

Cuban Health Institutions are developing their own information resources with Infomed facilities



What else has been achieved ?What else has been achieved ?

The set up of national capacity to manage the new information technologies and to expand them among health professionals and population

The set up of a network of ICT professionals that are working in different national and international projects

An active participation in the Cuban ICT strategy



Regional & Provincial NodesRegional & Provincial Nodes

Nodes are located at provincial schools of medicine. It has promoted and facilitated network access to many users, giving preferences to institutional accounts.

In each node there is a person (supervisor) for guiding others through the initial steps and who works with the health workers. There are often workshops and short curses.



INFOMED: The nationwide networkINFOMED: The nationwide network

La HabanaVilla Clara

Camagüey

Santiago de Cuba


ICSEP, Valparaiso, ICSEP, Valparaiso, Chile, October, 2002Chile, October, 2002

ResourcesResources All services are available via WWW, e-mail. All

Cuban health journals are on line. List processor (hundreds of discussion groups and

bulletins), forums and chats Classic Internet tools applied to specific health

information services, e.g. daily news, weekly bulletins, foreign & Cuban journals, Cuban health statistics, natural and traditional medicine and current news on cancer.

Internet resources available nationwide.



Users access conditionsUsers access conditions Subscribers are not charged for the services

provided through Infomed.

The services available through the WWW do not require registration nor password.

All users have access to NLM (Medline), and to other important web sites.



How?How?Political support and resources mobilizationStrategic planning, conceptual frameworkPolicies and proceduresInformation Resource Inventories and cooperationHuman centric not techLearning by experience



What is going on?What is going on? Virtual Health Library with all Cuban journals on line,

text books and a digitalization project

Virtual University with courses and a human network working on it

A Nationwide Surveillance Network to prevent diseases

A telemedicine network with projects in teleradiology, telepatology, telegenetics and new projects coming



Services modelServices model WWW as the integrator system for all applications.

TCP-IP networks

Development of applications to solve specific problems using standards

National Capacity in order to apply ICT to development



Discussion:Discussion: Infomed has emerged under conditions which are not

uncommon in the developing world

Infomed has been a concrete application to solve a real problem with new technologies

Infomed is part of a national strategy in order to promote health as an essential investment for development



ConclusionsConclusions A tight economic situation is not a barrier, but an

incentive to develop electronic information networks in developing countries

It is not only possible, but also imperative, to create health information networks in the developing world.

Infomed constitutes an absolute evidence that it can be done.



For more information about Infomed …contact us at:

27 # 110 e/ M y N, Vedado27 # 110 e/ M y N, VedadoCiudad de la HabanaCiudad de la HabanaCódigo Postal 10400, CUBACódigo Postal 10400, CUBATelf: Telf: (53-7) 832 4519(53-7) 832 4519Fax: Fax: (53-7) 33 30 63(53-7) 33 30 63Email:Email: [email protected]@infomed.sld.cuURL: URL: http://www.sld.cu/http://www.sld.cu/



dr. guillermo j. padrón infomed, cuba [email protected]

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