title: Hospital and health information systems - Current perspectives. Contribution of the IMIA Health Information Systems Working Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To celebrate over 30 years of health information systems' (HIS) evolution by bringing together pioneers in the field, members of the next generation of leaders, and government officials from several developing nations in Africa to discuss the past, present, and future of HISs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants gathered in Le Franschhoek, South Africa for a 2 1/2 day working conference consisting of scientific presentations followed by several concurrent breakout sessions. A small writing group prepared draft statements representing their positions on various topics of discussion which were circulated and revised by the entire group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many new tools, techniques and technologies were described and discussed in great detail. Interestingly, all of the key themes identified in the first HIS meeting held over 30 years ago are still of vital importance today: Patient Centered design, Clinical User Support, Real-time Education, Human-computer Factors and Measuring Clinical User Performance, Meaningful use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As we continue to work to develop next-generation HISs, we must remember the lessons of the past as we strive to develop the solutions for tomorrow.
authors.affiliation: University IMIA Health Information Systems Working Group Chair, University Hospitals of Geneva and University of Geneva, Switzerland. christian.lovis@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lovis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Elkin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mykkänen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rienhoff
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sittig
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Talmon
mesh_terms: D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D003906:Developing Countries; D063005:Health Information Systems / Q000592:standards; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D048108:Nursing Informatics; D011787:Quality of Health Care