Distributed Medical Informatics Education Using Internet2 William Hersh, M.D. Associate Professor and Chief Division of Medical Informatics & Outcomes Research Oregon Health Sciences University Portland, OR, USA

Acknowledgements Collaborators –Oregon Health Sciences University Patricia Tidmarsh, J.D. –University of Pittsburgh Charles Friedman, Ph.D. Joseph Cummings Funder –National Library of Medicine (NLM) Contract 467-MZ

Overview Background Rationale Current efforts Future Plans

Medical Informatics The field concerned with the storage, acquisition, and use of information in health care A relatively new, multidisciplinary field without a defined skill set, educational pathway, job description, etc.

Academic medical informatics A growing number of M.S., Ph.D., and postdoc fellowship programs –Twelve programs funded by NLM –Another dozen or so programs Academic programs focus on research but most graduates assume non-research positions

A problem with medical informatics education From Corn M, MD Computing, 1999, 16(2): –Of 12 core topic areas, no program has coursework in more than eight Programs tend to reflect the interests of their faculty –This could be detrimental to students having different interests or wanting a broader education

Technology may help… “Low end” distance learning –OHSU Graduate Certificate Program has over 80 enrollees who take courses featuring Streaming audio + Powerpoint lectures Threaded discussion boards Other usual activities – term paper, final, etc. –Mostly mid-career professionals, demonstrates interest in medical informatics education from diverse audiences

Technology (cont.) “High end” distance learning –Internet2-based collaboration between OHSU and University of Pittsburgh

Aims of project Develop coursework that takes advantage of expertise at specific sites as well as collaboration across sites Provide access to such coursework and the faculty who teach it over Internet2 within the framework of the home institution’s program infrastructure Facilitate cross-institution student collaboration Evaluate the techniques used and student outcomes

Rationale for collaboration OHSU and Pitt are both Internet2 institutions They have complimentary expertise, e.g., –Pitt strength in electronic medical records and evaluation of systems –OHSU strength in information retrieval and digital libraries Both are devoted to educational innovation in medical informatics

Others are doing this too… Graduate seminar in communications –42 students from Univ. of California Santa Barbara, Univ. of Southern California, Purdue Univ., and Univ. of Illinois –Using Internet2-based videoconferencing, students and professors interacted in real time – frame.htm

Efforts so far Transmission of –Research conferences from OHSU –Research-in-progress meetings from Pitt Only minor problems encountered so far –Sound difficulties related to microphone placement –Latency of image when Powerpoint slides transmit –Once a dropped connection forcing reconnection

Future efforts planned OHSU MINF 514, Information Retrieval & Digital Libraries (Hersh) –Covers major issues in indexing, retrieval, evaluation, and digital libraries –Offered in OHSU spring quarter - early April to mid June –Meets three hours per week from 1-4 pm Pacific time –Sessions will be broadcast over Internet2 link to Pitt –Course will be taken by students in Pitt informatics and library/information science programs

Future efforts (cont.) Issues to overcome –Non-overlap of academic schedules Pitt is on semester system, with spring semester ending in early May –Course time less than ideal Pitt students in class from 4-7 pm –How to issue credit Initially will be offered as seminar course at Pitt

Future efforts (cont.) Trivia Bowl –Traveling trophy to be awarded (virtual?) –Three students from each site answer trivia questions developed by faculty Other faculty and student interactions –Two faculty teach innovative courses on organizational behavior issues –Hope to encourage student collaboration on projects

Technology used Polycom Viewstations IP-based Transmission over Internet2 Other cameras, microphones, PCs Internet2

OHSU Theater receiving transmission from Pitt

Future directions We can improve technology; technical challenges include –Explore higher-quality videoconferencing –Investigate additional learning modalities Real challenges are –Determining whether and how much to integrate academic programs –Foster community of faculty and students –How to sustain efforts after initial funding ends