The Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics (IMIS), section Medical Informatics (MIKI), has advanced its international collaboration with Colombia through site visits supporting the COALA project (Colombian-German Scientific Alliance for the Advancement of Interoperability in Medicine).
Prof. Dr. Björn Schreiweis and researcher Luisa Mejia conducted a four-day visit to four institutions in Bogota: UNICOC, El Bosque University, Military University Nueva Granada, and the Military Hospital. The visits focused on building academic and scientific partnerships between in Medical Informatics between Kiel University, UKSH and Colombian institutions.
COALA aims to strengthen scientific collaboration between Colombia and Germany in electronic medical records and interoperability through joint research. The project seeks to generate a positive impact in healthcare systems in both regions.
During the four days, the researchers carried out various activities aimed at consolidating this strategic cooperation.
The visit started with a tour of UNICOC’s dental clinics, which provide treatment across multiple complexity levels. At El Bosque University, the team met with leadership to review their programs, technical infrastructure, and master’s degree offerings in Medical Informatics. Discussions with representatives from HL7 Colombia demonstrated that Colombia has one of the most advanced eHealth and interoperability infrastructure in South America.
At the Military University, the team met with two research groups currently working on interoperability and electronic health record projects. These discussions examined specific technical challenges and research priorities. Additionally, we were able to meet with the faculty of Medicine in the Military Hospital, where we discussed about the medicine program and future collaborations with the faculty of medicine of Kiel University.
The meetings established specific opportunities for knowledge transfer and international scientific collaboration. All parties identified potential areas for co-development of solutions in interoperability and health information systems, which will inform the direction of the COALA project.
