Division of Clinical Informatics

About DCI

The Division of Clinical Informatics (DCI) at BIDMC is a pioneering academic division established in 1970 to leverage computers in patient care, teaching, and research. DCI's mission is to enhance healthcare quality and affordability, improve medical education, strengthen doctor-patient relationships, and drive research innovation through computing.

Throughout its history, DCI has achieved significant milestones, including developing one of the world's first integrated hospital computing systems in 1976. This system provided clinicians with various tools like order entry, immediate access to diagnostic results, clinical alerts, and electronic mail for communication. DCI also introduced PaperChase, an early online medical literature search system that revolutionized the field.

DCI's current research focuses on designing and evaluating clinical information systems, translational research platforms, patient portals, patient engagement, quality improvement processes and analytics, clinical decision support systems, online learning systems, mobile health applications, and global e-health applications. The division is home to award-winning platforms like InfoSAGE Health, an online and mobile app for supporting home-based care, and Alicanto, an online collaboration platform for healthcare teams.

In terms of education, DCI offers diverse training programs, including internships, fellowships, and international educational programs. It hosts the BIDMC Multidisciplinary Clinical Informatics Fellowship Program, a two-year ACGME-accredited program providing fellows with real-world experience in clinical computing environments. The DCI international informatics program focuses on educational exchange, scientific collaboration, workforce development, comparative studies, and technology transfer, with implementations in various countries.

For more information, please contact Yuri Quintana.

https://research.bidmc.org/dci

yquintan@bidmc.harvard.edu

InfoSAGE Health

InfoSAGE

InfoSAGE is a free, open-access platform designed to enhance communication and collaboration among family members involved in the care of older adults. By facilitating the sharing of personal health information and caregiving needs, InfoSAGE aims to improve care coordination, alleviate caregiver burden, and promote better health outcomes for older adults. The platform is accessible through both a website and mobile apps, ensuring convenience and ease of use for all users.

https://infosagehealth.org

Key Features:

  • Secure sharing of personal health information
  • Coordination of caregiving tasks and schedules
  • Access to curated information and local resources on aging
  • Available as a website and mobile app (iOS and Android)

Alicanto Cloud

Alicanto Cloud

Alicanto Cloud is a versatile online platform that revolutionizes learning and collaboration in healthcare. It seamlessly integrates various tools and services, including online group collaboration, learning management, and secure clinical consultation. This comprehensive platform empowers healthcare professionals to connect, learn, and share knowledge effectively, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.

https://www.alicantocloud.com/

Key Features:

  • Online group collaboration tools (document sharing, discussions, web conferencing)
  • Learning management system (courses, assessments, reporting)
  • Secure clinical consultation system
  • Content management and access controls
    • Customization options and multilingual support

Alicanto Trials

Alicanto Trials is a component of the Alicanto platform developed by the Division of Clinical Informatics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. It is designed to facilitate the management of clinical trials, including features for searching and filtering trials based on criteria such as medical condition, location, and recruitment status.

https://www.alicantotrials.org/

Alicanto Consult

Alicanto Consult is a secure online platform designed to streamline clinical consultations. It enables healthcare professionals to submit cases for review by experts, facilitating efficient communication and collaboration. The platform allows for case review, recommendations, live discussions, and case transfers, ultimately enhancing the quality and timeliness of clinical decision-making.

Key Features:

  • Secure online case submission and review
  • Expert recommendations and live discussions
  • Case transfer capabilities
    • Integration with other Alicanto platform services

https://alicantobidmc.org/resources/alicanto-tumor-boards

Alicanto-PRECISE℠ - Personalized Research and Evaluation platform for Comprehensive Integrative Screening and Enhanced cancer care

Alicanto-PRECISE℠ is a sophisticated, longitudinal database architecture designed to comprehensively analyze cancer care pathways. This platform integrates data from initial screening through treatment and post-discharge follow-up, enabling in-depth analysis of patient outcomes. It uniquely correlates these outcomes with critical factors, including social determinants of health, genetic profiles, pathological findings, and diverse multi-modal data sets. This comprehensive approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of cancer progression, treatment efficacy, and long-term patient health, facilitating personalized and evidence-based cancer care strategies.

Alicanto-COMPASS℠ - Cancer Outcomes Mapping & Patient Support System

Alicanto-COMPASS℠ serves as an intuitive, patient-centric interface to the Alicanto-PRECISE℠ platform. It is specifically designed to empower patients with a clear understanding of their cancer prognosis, treatment options, and available support resources throughout their care journey. This tool provides patients with detailed information about their medications, strategies for managing symptoms, and opportunities for additional treatments or relevant clinical trials. Crucially, Alicanto-COMPASS℠ also enables patients to actively contribute to their care by reporting outcomes and experiences, which are then integrated into the Alicanto-PRECISE℠ database. This bidirectional flow of information enhances the overall quality of care and contributes to ongoing cancer research and treatment optimization.