Biomedical Informatics in Engineering:

A New Frontier for Engineering Librarians

Sheila J. Young, Engineering LibrarianOlivia B. Sparks, Engineering and Chemistry

Librarian

ASEE 2008Pittsburgh, PAJune 24, 2008

Biomedical InformaticsBiomedical Informatics

http://www.dbmi.columbia.edu/about/definition/definition.htmlShortliffe & Cimino, 2006.

Biomedical InformaticsBiomedical InformaticsDefinitionDefinition

“…an umbrella term that names the core discipline while also denoting the union of the information and computer sciences with domains including clinical practice, biomedical research, imaging, public health, and health professions education. We believe that use of ‘‘biomedical informatics’’ as the overarching term and ‘‘bioinformatics’’ in a more focused sense will lead over time to the clearest portrayal of the field and, as such, will promote effective communication among the varied constituencies that work in the field.”

Friedman, C.P. et.al (2004)

Biomedical Informatics ProgramsBiomedical Informatics Programshttp://www.amia.org/informatics/acad&training/index.asphttp://www.amia.org/informatics/acad&training/index.asp

Examples of Departments/Programs with Biomedical Informatics in title

• Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona• Columbia University, New York, NY• Stanford University, Stanford, CA• University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT• University of Washington, Seattle, WA• Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Biomedical Informatics at ASUBiomedical Informatics at ASU

http://bmi.asu.edu/downloads/IMIAYearbook08_preprint.pdf

Biomedical Informatics at ASUBiomedical Informatics at ASU

http://www.asu.edu/tour/tempe/byeng.html http://www.asu.edu/tour/downtown/abc1.html

Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering•New Department in the School of Computing and Informatics

•Physical Location – Phoenix Biomedical Campus

http://bmi.asu.edu/downloads/IMIAYearbook08_preprint.pdf

Biomedical Informatics at Biomedical Informatics at Arizona State UniversityArizona State University

Phoenix Biomedical Campus• ASU Department of Biomedical Informatics• COM-PHX – “University of Arizona College of

Medicine – Phoenix, in partnership with Arizona State University”

• ASU College of Nursing and Health Innovation• TGen• UA CPharm• NAU Allied Health

Areas of Concentration at ASUAreas of Concentration at ASU

• Bioinformatics – “develop computational tools for the analysis of biomedical data and systems”

• Clinical informatics – “develop novel information technology, computer science and knowledge management methodologies for disease prevention, treatment, more efficient and safer patient care delivery, and knowledge access.”

http://bmi.asu.edu/graduate/bmi_phd.php

Areas of Concentration at ASUAreas of Concentration at ASU

• Cognitive science – “…study of medical decision-making, cognitive foundations of health behaviors, and the effective use of computer-based information technologies.” Areas include: analysis of medical error, models of

naturalistic problem solving and decision-making, development and use of clinical guidelines, and evaluation of human-computer interactions

http://bmi.asu.edu/graduate/bmi_phd.php

Areas of Concentration at ASUAreas of Concentration at ASU

• Imaging Informatics – develop “information technology and computational tools to manage and analyze biomedical images (such as radiological films, CAT scans, pathology/microscopy or surgical simulation environments)…”

• Public Health Informatics – “…systematic application of information and computer sciences to public health practice, research, and learning…”

http://bmi.asu.edu/graduate/bmi_phd.php

From the Literature: Systems From the Literature: Systems BiologyBiology

“Engineering sciences provides a bundles of computational tools and theoretical methods that are frequently applied in systems biology research.”

– Modeling– Model analysis

Kremling (2007) p. 348

From the Literature: Systems From the Literature: Systems BiologyBiology

“Systems biology is the merger of systems theory (engineering approaches) and molecular/cell biology…is particularly attractive for researchers from the engineering and physical sciences. What this indicates is that an “engineering or “systems-theoretic” approach is different to the way cell-biological systems have been studied.”

Wolkenhauer (2007)

From the Literature: Systems From the Literature: Systems BiologyBiology

• “…the engineering approach is a necessity, not a choice, if we are to understand the functioning of the cell.”

• Mathematical models and rich data sets

Wolkenhauer (2007)

From the literature: Systems From the literature: Systems BiologyBiology

“…1) a biological system can be viewed as an engineering system, 2) biological information integration can be approached by reverse engineering, and 3) biological systems can be represented in the form of modern engineering system architectures.”

Zheng (2006)

Literature SourcesLiterature Sources

• PubMed• Inspec• Compendex• ACM Digital Library• IEEE Xplore

MeSH HeadingsMeSH Headings

• Information Science 1993– Informatics 2005

• Dental Informatics 2005• Medical Informatics 1987

– Decision Making, Computer-Assisted+ 1987

– Information Storage and Retrieval+ 1991– Information Systems+ 1982– Medical Informatics Computing 1987

• Nursing Informatics 2005• Public Health Informatics 2003

• Biology– Computational Biology (Bioinformatics) 1997

“Biomedical Informatics” Not a MeSH term

Beyond PubMedBeyond PubMed

• Sheetal Agarwal, et al. “A pervasive computing system for the operating room of the future.” (2007) Mobile Networks and Applications. 12 (2-3)– “…a prototype context aware perioperative

information system to capture and interpret data in an operating room of the future.”

• Pratt, Wanda et al. “Personal health information management.” (2006) Communications of the ACM.49 (1)

• Guiducci, C. and Nardini, C. (2008). “High parallelism, portability, and broad accessibility: Technologies for genomics.” ACM Journal of Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems. 4, 1 (Mar. 2008), 1-39.

Beyond PubMedBeyond PubMed

• Zhang et al. 2008. “BioPortal Infectious Disease Informatics research: disease surveillance and situational awareness.” Proceedings of the 2008 international conference on Digital government research – “…disease monitoring and situational awareness

infrastructure developed in BioPortal, our NSF-funded Infectious Disease Informatics project.”

• Zhou, Z. 2007. The role of a data grid in worldwide imaging-based clinical trials. Journal of High Speed Networks, v 16, n 1, 2007, p 21-33

INSPEC TermsINSPEC Terms

• Biology computing 1977• Medical computing 1977• Medical diagnostic computing 1977• Medical information systems 1995• Biomedical imaging 1995

“Biomedical Informatics” is Not an INSPEC Controlled Vocabulary term

Compendex TermsCompendex Terms

• Bioinformatics 2006• Medical Imaging 1993• Medical computing 1993

“Biomedical Informatics” is Not an Compendex Controlled Vocabulary term

ACM TermsACM TermsComputing Classification System Computing Classification System (1998)(1998)• E. Data

• H. Information Systems

• I. Computing Methodologies

• J.3 Life and Medical Sciences– Biology and genetics – Health – Medical information systems

INSPEC “Biology and Medical INSPEC “Biology and Medical Computing” Records per Year 1997-Computing” Records per Year 1997-20072007

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INSPEC CV terms in INSPEC CV terms in C7330- “Biology and Medical C7330- “Biology and Medical Computing”Computing”82498 records (1997-2007)• Medical Image Processing – 32233• Biology Computing – 12672• Medical Computing – 10923• Medical Signal Processing – 10480• Biomedical MRI – 8243• Image Reconstruction – 7781• Image Segmentation – 7659• Computerised Tomography – 6597• Medical Information Systems – 5705• Diseases – 5394

INSPEC CV terms in INSPEC CV terms in C7330- “Biology and Medical C7330- “Biology and Medical Computing”Computing”

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Journals: Journals: Computer Science/Engineering LiteratureComputer Science/Engineering Literature

ACM Journal on Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems (2005)

IEEE Engineering in Biology and Medicine (1988)IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in

Biomedicine (1997)IEEE - ACM Transactions on Computational Biology

and Bioinformatics (2004)IET Systems Biology (2004)

Journals: Engineering LiteratureJournals: Engineering Literature

SPIE Journals • Optical Engineering (1990)• Journal of Electronic Imaging (1992)• Journal of Biomedical Optics (1996)

Conferences - ExamplesConferences - Examples

IEEE• Bioinformatics and

Bioengineering• Biomedical Imaging• Computer Based

Medical Systems

SPIE• Biomedical

Electronic Imaging & Processing

• Medical Imaging Systems

• Molecular Biology & Genetics

ReferencesReferences

• Friedman C.P. et al. (2004). “Training the Next Gererations of Informaticians: The Impact of “BISTI” and Bioinformatics – A Report from the American College of Medical Informatics.” JAMIA 11 (3): 167-72.

• Greenes, R.A. et al. (2008). “Biomedical Informatics in the Desert – A New and Unique Program at Arizona State University.” IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics. Preprint. http://bmi.asu.edu/downloads/IMIAYearbook08_preprint.pdf

• Kremling, A, & Saez-Rodriguez, J. (2007). Systems biology – an engineering perspective. Journal of Biotechnology, 129 (2), 329-351.

• Shortliffe, E.H. & Cimino, J.J. (2006) Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Healthcare and Biomedicine, 3rd edition. Springer: New York. Pp. 34.

• Shortliffe, E.H. “Biomedical Informatics : The nature of the discipline.” http://www.dbmi.columbia.edu/about/definition/definition.html (accessed April 17, 2008).

• Zheng, W.J.,(2006). “Engineering Approached Toward Biological Information Intergration at the Systems Level.” Current Bioinformatics 1 (1), 85-93.

Questions?