Journal article
Synergies and Distinctions between Computational Disciplines in Biomedical Research: Perspective from the Clinical and Translational Science Award Programs
Academic medicine, Vol.84(7), pp.964-970
07/2009
DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181a8144d
PMCID: PMC2884382
PMID: 19550198
Abstract
Clinical and translational research increasingly requires computation. Projects may involve multiple computationally-oriented groups including information technology (IT) professionals, computer scientists and biomedical informaticians. However, many biomedical researchers are not aware of the distinctions among these complementary groups, leading to confusion, delays and sub-optimal results. Although written from the perspective of clinical and translational science award (CTSA) programs within academic medical centers, the paper addresses issues that extend beyond clinical and translational research. The authors describe the complementary but distinct roles of operational IT, research IT, computer science and biomedical informatics using a clinical data warehouse as a running example. In general, IT professionals focus on technology. The authors distinguish between two types of IT groups within academic medical centers: central or administrative IT (supporting the administrative computing needs of large organizations) and research IT (supporting the computing needs of researchers). Computer scientists focus on general issues of computation such as designing faster computers or more efficient algorithms, rather than specific applications. In contrast, informaticians are concerned with data, information and knowledge. Biomedical informaticians draw on a variety of tools, including but not limited to computers, to solve information problems in health care and biomedicine. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding administrative structures that can help to maximize the benefit of computation to biomedical research within academic health centers.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Synergies and Distinctions between Computational Disciplines in Biomedical Research: Perspective from the Clinical and Translational Science Award Programs
- Creators
- Elmer V Bernstam - Associate Professor of Health Information Sciences and Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonWilliam R Hersh - Professor and Chair of the Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science UniversityStephen B Johnson - Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics at Columbia UniversityChristopher G Chute - Chair of the Division of Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Health Sciences Research at the Mayo ClinicCTSA Biomedical Informatics Key Function CommitteeIda Sim - Associate Professor of General Internal Medicine at the University of California, San FranciscoMeredith Nahm - Assistant Director of the Biomedical Informatics Core at the Duke Translational Medicine InstituteMark Weiner - Director of Information Systems Integration for Research in the Office of Human Research at the University of PennsylvaniaPerry Miller - Professor in the Center for Medical Informatics at the Yale University School of MedicineRobert P DiLaura - Head of the Section of Research Informatics in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences at the Cleveland ClinicMarc Overcash - Chief Information Officer and Director of Health Sciences and Research at Emory UniversityHarold P Lehmann - Associate Professor of Health Sciences Informatics at the Johns Hopkins UniversityDavid Eichmann - Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of IowaBrian D Athey - Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical SchoolRichard H Scheuermann - Professor of Pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at DallasNick Anderson - Acting Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Health Informatics at the University of WashingtonJustin B Starren - Director of the Biomedical Informatics Research Center at the Marshfield ClinicPaul A Harris - Research Associate Professor at Vanderbilt UniversityJack W Smith - Professor and Dean of the School of Health Information Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonEd Barbour - Manager at the Hospital Informatics Core a the Rockefeller UniversityJonathan C Silverstein - Associate Professor of Surgery, Radiology and at the Computation Institute of the University of ChicagoDavid A Krusch - Associate Professor of Medical Informatics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and DentistryRakesh Nagarajan - Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology at the Washington University School of MedicineMichael J Becich - Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Academic medicine, Vol.84(7), pp.964-970
- DOI
- 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181a8144d
- PMID
- 19550198
- PMCID
- PMC2884382
- NLM abbreviation
- Acad Med
- ISSN
- 1040-2446
- eISSN
- 1938-808X
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2009
- Academic Unit
- School of Library and Information Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984003174002771
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