A major Harvard Medical School-affiliated research institute is aiming to develop education and care delivery in the Caribbean.
The Division of Clinical Informatics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has signed a framework agreement with the Washington-based Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to collaborate in supporting the advancement of eHealth in Latin America and the Caribbean.
BIDMC said its efforts will be led by Director of Global Health Informatics Dr. Yuri Quintana.
BIDMC noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined eHealth as “the cost-effective and secure use of information and communication technologies in support of health, including treating patients, conducting research, educating the health workforce, tracking diseases and monitoring public health.”
“This collaboration will allow us to tap into the vast expertise of BIDMC’s informatics division and clinicians, as well as the entire Harvard community.
Quintana said he will work with his technical counterpart, David Novillo, PAHO eHealth Program Coordinator, on eHealth training strategies and the development of research priorities and publications for use in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We’ll be studying how different implementations in different countries are adapted to fit local needs,” Quintana said. “We’ll then examine how effectively communicating best practices can help improve outcomes while reducing costs.”
Quintana said he and Novillo will begin by looking at newborn and maternal health.
“One of the United Nations millennial goals is to reduce infant mortality,” Quintana noted. “Progress has been made; but, in some countries, there are still infant mortality rates as high as 30 to 40 percent in areas where there are fewer services.
