Developing capacity in health informatics in a resource poor setting: lessons from Peru

The public sectors of developing countries require strengthened capacity in health informatics. In Peru, where formal university graduate degrees in biomedical and health informatics were lacking until recently, the AMAUTA Global Informatics Research and Training Program has provided research and training for health professionals in the region since 1999. The Fogarty International Center supports the program as a collaborative partnership between Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru and the University of Washington in the United States of America. The program aims to train core professionals in health informatics and to strengthen the health information resource capabilities and accessibility in Peru. The program has achieved considerable success in the development and institutionalization of informatics research and training programs in Peru. Projects supported by this program are leading to the development of sustainable training opportunities for informatics and eight of ten Peruvian fellows trained at the University of Washington are now developing informatics programs and an information infrastructure in Peru. In 2007, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia started offering the first graduate diploma program in biomedical informatics in Peru

Handheld computers for self-administered sensitive data collection: A comparative study in Peru

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Low-cost handheld computers (PDA) potentially represent an efficient tool for collecting sensitive data in surveys. The goal of this study is to evaluate the quality of sexual behavior data collected with handheld computers in comparison with paper-based questionnaires.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A PDA-based program for data collection was developed using Open-Source tools. In two cross-sectional studies, we compared data concerning sexual behavior collected with paper forms to data collected with PDA-based forms in Ancon (Lima).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The first study enrolled 200 participants (18–29 years). General agreement between data collected with paper format and handheld computers was 86%. Categorical variables agreement was between 70.5% and 98.5% (Kappa: 0.43–0.86) while numeric variables agreement was between 57.1% and 79.8% (Spearman: 0.76–0.95). Agreement and correlation were higher in those who had completed at least high school than those with less education. The second study enrolled 198 participants. Rates of responses to sensitive questions were similar between both kinds of questionnaires. However, the number of inconsistencies (p = 0.0001) and missing values (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in paper questionnaires.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study showed the value of the use of handheld computers for collecting sensitive data, since a high level of agreement between paper and PDA responses was reached. In addition, a lower number of inconsistencies and missing values were found with the PDA-based system. This study has demonstrated that it is feasible to develop a low-cost application for handheld computers, and that PDAs are feasible alternatives for collecting field data in a developing country.</p

Primer Programa Universitario de diplomado virtual y Maestría en Informática Biomédica en el Perú

El entrenamiento en Informática Biomédica es fundamental para enfrentar los desafíos de un mundo globalizado. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de programas de entrenamiento e investigación en posgrado en esta área son escasos en América Latina. A través del QUIPU: Centro Andino de Investigación y Entrenamiento en Informática para la Salud Global, se ha desarrollado el primer programa de Diplomado y Maestría en Informática Biomédica en la Región Andina. El objetivo de este artículo es describir la experiencia del programa. A la fecha han participado 51 alumnos de Perú, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia y Venezuela; procedentes de ministerios de salud, hospitales, universidades, centros de investigación, colegios profesionales y empresas privadas. Diecisiete cursos se impartieron con la participación presencial y virtual de profesores de Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Estados Unidos, México y Perú. Este programa está ya institucionalizado en la Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredi

Primer Programa Universitario de diplomado virtual y Maestría en Informática Biomédica en el Perú

El entrenamiento en Informática Biomédica es fundamental para enfrentar los desafíos de un mundo globalizado. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de programas de entrenamiento e investigación en posgrado en esta área son escasos en América Latina. A través del QUIPU: Centro Andino de Investigación y Entrenamiento en Informática para la Salud Global, se ha desarrollado el primer programa de Diplomado y Maestría en Informática Biomédica en la Región Andina. El objetivo de este artículo es describir la experiencia del programa. A la fecha han participado 51 alumnos de Perú, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia y Venezuela; procedentes de ministerios de salud, hospitales, universidades, centros de investigación, colegios profesionales y empresas privadas. Diecisiete cursos se impartieron con la participación presencial y virtual de profesores de Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Estados Unidos, México y Perú. Este programa está ya institucionalizado en la Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredi

Handheld computers for self-administered sensitive data collection: A comparative study in Peru-0

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Handheld computers for self-administered sensitive data collection: A comparative study in Peru"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/8/11</p><p>BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2008;8():11-11.</p><p>Published online 19 Mar 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2323371.</p><p></p

OpenRefine/OpenRefine: OpenRefine v2.8 Release

This is the official release of OpenRefine 2.8. Please backup your workspace directory before installing and report any problems that you encounter. New features: Project metadata support Enhancement of Wikidata Reconcile Support split multivalued-cells by regex/special characters Text filter exclude Add free memory detection and Notification to user Improved UI for better usability Some bug fixes See the full list of changes. OpenRefine is funded by Google Inc. News Lab