Informatics and Knowledge Management Directorate

Capacity development & Collaborations

Capacity development
Research capacity in health informatics is very limited in South Africa. One of our objectives is to address the need for skilled health informatics researchers through research internships and the promotion of health informatics education and training.

A number of efforts have been made to promote health informatics education through the development of curricula in nursing informatics and health informatics, for example in Masters in Public Health (MPH) programmes offered at certain institutions in the country. Seminars and workshops related to health informatics have also been conducted.

Collaborations

• A memorandum of understanding with the Centre for Health Informatics Research and Development (CHIRAD) in the UK was signed in February 2004.
• Collaboration with the University of Pretoria has been established in health informatics teaching and joint projects are planned.
• There is ongoing collaboration with the UCT School of Public Health and Family Medicine on projects related to health informatics standardisation and ethical patient data use for research.
• A collaborative project is being conducted with GeoSpace International and Cell-Life to investigate the use of wireless technology to support patient recordkeeping in rural areas.
• The HIRD participates in national health information standardisation activities in both public and private sectors on an ongoing basis.

National and international health informatics links
HIRD members participate at national and international level in the activities of IMIA (the International Medical Informatics Association) and its South African affiliate SAHIA (the South African Health Informatics Association).