The Sociedade Brasileira de Informática em Saúde (Brazilian Society of Health Informatics), abbreviated as SBIS, is a

professional society A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...

created in November 1986 in

Campinas Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's population is 1,213,792, making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian ...

, during the First Brazilian Congress on Health Informatics. It has the mission of promoting the development and the interchange of ideas and results in the fields devoted to the

information technologies Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

applied to the

health sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple a ...

(

Medical informatics Health informatics is the field of science and engineering that aims at developing methods and technologies for the acquisition, processing, and study of patient data, which can come from different sources and modalities, such as electronic hea ...

, Telemedicine,

Bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data, in particular when the data sets are large and complex. As an interdisciplinary field of science, bioinformatics combi ...

, etc.).

Mission and areas of interest

SBIS is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

membership organization of individuals and institutions interested in developing and using information technologies to improve health care in Brazil. To accomplish its goal, SBIS may develop the following activities: * Stimulate

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

al activities related to

health informatics Health informatics is the field of science and engineering that aims at developing methods and technologies for the acquisition, processing, and study of patient data, which can come from different sources and modalities, such as electronic hea ...

; * Stimulate

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

and technical development in Health Informatics; * Organize

conferences A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main ...

symposium In ancient Greece, the symposium ( grc-gre, συμπόσιον ''symposion'' or ''symposio'', from συμπίνειν ''sympinein'', "to drink together") was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was acc ...

s, courses, seminars, and other activities that lead to experience and knowledge exchange; * Cooperate with sister societies; * Contribute to the definition of

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health pro ...

policies; * Promote Health Informatics as a means to reduce costs and improve the

quality Quality may refer to: Concepts *Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something *Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property *Quality (physics), in response theory * Energy quality, used in various science discipl ...

of healthcare services. Some of SBIS areas of interest are: *

Health information systems Health informatics is the field of science and engineering that aims at developing methods and technologies for the acquisition, processing, and study of patient data, which can come from different sources and modalities, such as electronic hea ...

Health information management Health information management (HIM) is information management applied to health and health care. It is the practice of analyzing and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. With the wide ...

Electronic patient record An electronic health record (EHR) is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared throu ...

* Telemedicine and

telehealth Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, mon ...

* Medical decision support systems * Biological signal processing *

Medical image processing Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...

* Internet applications in health *

Health information standards Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, Mental health, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World H ...

Health informatics education Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity". World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Orga ...

Distance education in health Distance is a numerical or occasionally qualitative measurement of how far apart objects or points are. In physics or everyday usage, distance may refer to a physical length or an estimation based on other criteria (e.g. "two counties over") ...

Currently it has around 780 associates, thus being the third largest in the Americas, after the

American Medical Informatics Association The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the development and application of biomedical and health informatics in the support of patient care, teaching, research, and health care adm ...

and the

Canada's Health Informatics Association Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world ...

, and the largest in

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...

, according to the International Medical Informatics Association. The Society is affiliated to the

International Medical Informatics Association The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) is an independent organization that plays a role in promoting and furthering the application of information science in modern society, particularly in the fields of healthcare, bioscience ...

since 1988.

Governance

The current Executive Board (2008–2010) is led by Dr. Cláudio Giulliano Alves da Costa (President). Former presidents were: Roberto J. Rodrigues, Renato M.E. Sabbatini, Mariza Machado Klück, Beatriz de Faria Leão, Daniel Sigulem,

Umberto Tachinardi Umberto Tachinardi, MD, MSc, Fellow ACMI, is a Brazilian-born chief information officer and biomedical informaticist. Trained by the founders (Candido Pinto de Melo, Lincoln de Assis Moura Jr and Sergio Shiguemi Furuie) of the prestigious Medical ...

, Lincoln de Assis Moura Jr. and Heimar de Fátima Marin. Short histories of Health Informatics in Brazil have been published elsewhere by former presidents of the Society.

Conferences and Meetings

SBIS organizes since 1986 a biannual national conference, the Brazilian Congress of Health Informatics and a biannual specialized conference on

Electronic Health Record An electronic health record (EHR) is the systematized collection of patient and population electronically stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different health care settings. Records are shared throu ...

s (PEP); besides other, smaller and less periodical meetings. The Brazilian Congress on Health Informatics takes place in different cities every two years and has as its main subjects the applications of

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology syste ...

and

telematics Telematics is an interdisciplinary field encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies ( road transport, road safety, etc.), electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and computer science (multime ...

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of ...

and allied

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health pr ...

sciences, from the point of view of the expert scientific and technical worker in these areas. The first conference was organized in November 1986, in the city of

by Dr. Renato M.E. Sabbatini. The vice-president was Dr.

Hugo Sabatino Hugo Sabatino is an Argentine-Brazilian physician, scientist and university professor affiliated to the Medical School of the State University of Campinas, in Campinas, State of São Paulo. Sabatino's main specialty is obstetrics. He has contribut ...

, and the editor-in-chief of the Conference's proceedings was Dr. Renato G.G. Terzi, all with the

Medical School A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, ...

at the same university. During this conference, the Brazilian Society of Health Informatics was launched, as well as the ''Brazilian Journal of Health Informatics''. The conference was then repeated in 1988 (

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...

), 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996 (

Campos do Jordão Campos do Jordão () is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in southeastern Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 52,405 (2020 est.) in an area of . The city is situated above ...

), 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 ( Natal), 2006 (

Florianópolis Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as well as part of the mainland. It has a populat ...

) and 2008 (Campos do Jordão). The next conference will be held in November 2010, in

Porto de Galinhas Porto de Galinhas is a beach in the municipality of Ipojuca, Pernambuco, Brazil. Porto de Galinhas is a major tourist destination. The beach is famous for its bright-water beaches and the natural pools. It is part of the municipality of Ipojuca, ...

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the ...

Publications

SBIS' flagship

periodical A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also example ...

is the on-line

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Content Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such ...

, '' Journal of Health Informatics'' (Heimar Marin, Editor-in-Chief). It also publishes ''SBIS News'', an electronic bulletin hosted by Yahoo! Groups ( Renato M.E. Sabbatini, editor-in-chief), and coordinates the SBIS-L e-mail discussion list.

Electronic Health Record Certification Project

In collaboration with the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine since 2007, SBIS has developed one of few programs in the developing world geared towards the software certification in the area of electronic health records. The standards for access,

information security Information security, sometimes shortened to InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of Risk management information systems, information risk management. It typically involves preventing or re ...

, digital certification, patient

confidentiality Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise usually executed through confidentiality agreements that limits the access or places restrictions on certain types of information. Legal confidentiality By law, lawyers are often required ...

, storage of records, etc., have been discussed together and officially approved by a number of decrees enforced by CFM and are part now of a Manual, a course for buildup of a task force of specialized consultants. The certification standards cover ambulatory healthcare, clinical laboratory and other areas, and in the future will be expanded for inpatient health records and Picture archiving and communication system.

Professional Education

In 2008 the Society approved the creation of a new initiative and a directorship to boost educational activities in health informatics. A website and a

Learning Management System A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of educational courses, training programs, materials or learning and development programs. The lear ...

based on

Moodle Moodle is a free and open-source learning management system written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License. Moodle is used for blended learning, distance education, flipped classroom and other online learning projects in ...

server were created in 2009 (addres

. The site is used to support presential courses as well as to offer purely distance courses, seminars, lectures, and other educational activities. The site has also a

digital library A digital library, also called an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, or a digital collection is an online database of digital objects that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital ...

Biblioteca Virtual em Informática em Saúde, São Paulo, 2009.
/ref> with on-line references to papers, reviews,

e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. A ...

multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradit ...

files, etc., which are deemed useful for education and learning purposes. In addition, webconferencing facilities using DimDim have been added and can be used by associated individuals and institutions.

Professional Certificate in Health Informatics

In October 2009 the Society launched a program for certificating health care professionals as specialists, in a manner similar to medical specialties coordinated by the

Brazilian Medical Association The Brazilian Medical Association ( pt, Associação Médica Brasileira) founded in 1951, is the national class association of physicians in Brazil. With more than 140,000 associates, it is the second largest in the Americas, just after the Americ ...

and the Federal Council of Medicine in Brazil. The program entails a minimum list of technical proficiency, a written and oral annual examination, and the issue of a certificate which is valid for five years. The revalidation of the certificate will be mandatory by means of

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. ...

credits. The Society installed also an educational

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

program in place, for recognizing courses and

curricula In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

in health informatics, for this purpose, with a point-based system of credits. The entire program is under the responsibility of a new Directorship of Professional Education, coordinated by Prof. Renato M.E. Sabbatini.

References

External links

SBIS Home Page

Journal of Health Informatics Home Page

Distance Education Site

Email Discussion Group

Electronic news bulletin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brazilian Society Of Health Informatics Medical and health organisations based in Brazil Health informatics and eHealth associations Organisations based in Campinas