Fostering Digital Health in Universities: An Experience of the First Junior Scientific Committee of the Brazilian Congress of Health Informatics
- Author:
Alexandre Negrao PANTALEAO
1
;
Anna Luísa MENNITTI
;
Felipe Baptista BRUNHEROTO
;
Vitória STAVIS
;
Laura Teresa RICOBONI
;
Victor Augusto Fonseca de CASTRO
;
Ollivia Frederigue FERREIRA
;
Eura Martins LAGE
;
Deborah Ribeiro CARVALHO
;
Anita Maria da Rocha FERNANDES
;
Juliano de Souza GASPAR
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- From:Healthcare Informatics Research 2024;30(1):83-89
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objectives:Digital health (DH) is a revolution driven by digital technologies to improve health. Despite the importance of DH, curricular updates in healthcare university programs are scarce, and DH remains undervalued. Therefore, this report describes the first Junior Scientific Committee (JSC) focusing on DH at a nationwide congress, with the aim of affirming its importance for promoting DH in universities.
Methods:The scientific committee of the Brazilian Congress of Health Informatics (CBIS) extended invitations to students engaged in health-related fields, who were tasked with organizing a warm-up event and a 4-hour session at CBIS. Additionally, they were encouraged to take an active role in a workshop alongside distinguished experts to map out the current state of DH in Brazil.
Results:The warm-up event focused on the topic “Artificial intelligence in healthcare: is a new concept of health about to arise?” and featured remote discussions by three professionals from diverse disciplines. At CBIS, the JSC’s inaugural presentation concentrated on delineating the present state of DH education in Brazil, while the second presentation offered strategies to advance DH, incorporating viewpoints from within and beyond the academic sphere. During the workshop, participants deliberated on the most crucial competencies for future professionals in the DH domain.
Conclusions:Forming a JSC proved to be a valuable tool to foster DH, particularly due to the valuable interactions it facilitated between esteemed professionals and students. It also supports the cultivation of leadership skills in DH, a field that has not yet received the recognition it deserves.
