1. Introduction
The goal of WG 11 is to bring together dentists and other dental professionals from around the world to share information and ideas about the application of information technology to all aspects of the profession. The first objective in meeting this goal is to develop dental informatics networks to facilitate exchange of information.
The Chair of the Dental Working Group has passed from Dr. John Salley to Dr. Eric Spohn who is at the University of Kentucky. Initial activities have included establishment of a new Listserver for WG 11 to begin to network electronically. The current working group members with bitnet addresses was on line by April 1993. Working group members who do not have current bitnet connections may join in the future by sending mail to listserve@ukcc.uky.edu and enter sub imiawg11@ukcc.uky.edu. This will notify the Listserve manager (Eric Spohn) of their wish to subscribe to the Listserver.
The purpose of Listserver is to provide a means to network all who are interested in international contacts related to dental informatics and, in particular, to assist in making a Dental Informatics Conference in Vancouver in 1995 a success. Listserver is viewed as an evolutionary tool for communication and initially it will help it to take shape in the future.
2. Past International Working Conferences
In March 1993, at the American Association of Dental School (AADS) meeting in Chicago, the International Dental Education Interest group meeting was organised by Dr. Paul Littleton, executive director of AADA and Ms. Alies Muskin. This meeting was to notify AADS membership of the development of an International Federation of Dental Educators in Europe (ADEE) and AADS. In addition, an agreement has been worked out between the AADS and the South American Dental Education Association (OFFEDOUDVAL). This group was represented by Dr. Ariel Gomez, Executive Secretary from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dr. George Gillespie, (retired) director of the Pan American Health Organization, and Dr. David Barnes, Chief of Oral Health of the World Health Organization were in attendance and supported the development of the Federation. IMIA members, Drs. John Eisner, John Zimmerman, James Craig and Eric Spohn attended this meeting. Dr. Spohn described the activities of IMIA WG 11 and offered the University of Kentucky as a site to organize an internet/bitnet Listserver to provide networking capabilities to this new Federation.
Following the AADS the second North/South Workshop on Dental Education was conducted at the University of Indiana School of Dentistry. This workshop focused on developing cooperative efforts in dental research.
Of greater interest to IMIA members was the third North/South Workshop on Dental Education, held in April, 1994, at the University of Maryland Dental School. A meeting entitled Transmission of Information and Dental Informatics took place and was the fourth in a series of programs organised by the University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry and sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
This program series is entitled Project of Collaboration Between North and South America in Dental Education, and is under the leadership of Dr. Fafael I. Aponte, Project Director. Proceedings from the program series may be obtained through Dr. Aponte, School of Dentistry, Medical Science Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The World Health Organization conducted a meeting at their Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland (November 8-12, 1994) entitled Consultation on the Global Network for Oral Health Sciences Education. This meeting was organized by Dr. Errol L. Reese of the University of Maryland who was on sabbatical leave in Geneva. There were 70 participants from the six WHO regions of the world.
Twenty scientific papers and reprints were presented to the participants with time set aside for discussion for each. In addition, workshops were conducted to produce suggestions for action to be taken. Other activities discussed at this meeting were related to establishing a global network and will be ongoing. These include designing, planning, establishing linkages, public relations and funding.
A third significant activity to international dental informatics, and following on to the above meeting, was a conference related to the CC-ODONT Project held also at WHO HQ in Geneva (November 13 and 14, 1994). The goals of this meeting were to:
- Review comments on the upcoming version of the Oral Health Form and propose corresponding alterations, if necessary.
- Discuss current information on Global Oral Data Bank (GODB) and discuss development of additional oral health indicators and linkages of information with Regional Oral Health Data Bank (PAHO) and how information contained in GODB will be made electronically available.
3. Future International Working Conferences/Plans
The next planned meeting of WG 11 is at MEDINFO 95 in Vancouver, Canada, in July 1995. The major issues planned for that meeting, in the form of demonstrations and presentations, are:
- Networking Problems and Solutions;
- Dental Education and Informatics;
- Dental Research and Informatics;
- Clinical Dentistry and Informatics.
4. Proceedings and Publication (WG 11)
No publications at the moment.
5. Other involvements and relationships
Development of relationships with corporate entities which manufacture dental informatics equipment and applications are an important next step in the evolution of WG 11.
6. List of Members
A List of Members can be obtained directly from WG 11 Chair.
......This report will soon be published in the 1997 IMIA Yearbook......
Back
to History Page