Dr. Guillermo J. Padrón Infomed, Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: A challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

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 challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002 Infomed is a tech-based human network

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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002 The Infomed network was created as a way of distributing the few available issues to many

Infomed Mission To 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. Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

The 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. Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Action 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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

INFOMED’s development INFOMED’s development Infomed was developed under harsh economic conditions, which made the acquisition of new information technology very difficult Serious financial restrictions on investing in new technologies Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002 Even under these conditions, the Ministry of Public Health has strongly endorsed the efforts and the vision of Infomed

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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Strategic Components Virtual library Virtual University Telemedicine Health Surveillance Network Health Management Network Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Regional & 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. Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

INFOMED: The nationwide network La Habana Villa Clara Camagüey Santiago de Cuba Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaiso, Chile, October, 2002

Resources All services are available via WWW, . 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. Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Users 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. Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

How? Political support and resources mobilization Strategic planning, conceptual framework Policies and procedures Information Resource Inventories and cooperation Human centric not tech Learning by experience Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Services 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 Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Discussion: T Infomed has emerged under conditions which are not uncommon in the developing world T Infomed has been a concrete application to solve a real problem with new technologies T Infomed is part of a national strategy in order to promote health as an essential investment for development Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

Conclusions 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. Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002

For more information about Infomed … contact us at: 27 # 110 e/ M y N, Vedado Ciudad de la Habana Código Postal 10400, CUBA Telf: (53-7) Fax: (53-7) URL: Scientific electronic publishing in Cuba: a challenge that turned into a win ICSEP, Valparaíso, Chile, October, 2002