PREFACE

New Delhi

Bioinformatics has become a frontline applied science and is of vital importance to the study of molecular biology and biotechnology, which is widely recognized as the defining scientific endeavor of the twenty-first century. The areas of proteomics have underscored the central role of bioinformatics in understanding the very basics of life processes.

Biotechnology Information System Network (BTISnet) is a major distributed bioinformatics network established by the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India in 1987. At present there are 61 Bioinformatics Centres, 6 interactive graphics facilities, 5 advanced diploma courses, M.Tech, M.Sc., Ph.D., specific R&D projects and a super computing facility for genomic research functioning under this network. These centres have been working on different areas of their field and thrust.

Computerized medical records, telemedicine, retrieval and use of computer-based knowledge resources and the facility of the internet have become crucial for physician. Evidence based medicine is increasingly becoming technology based, and really helps physician's practice effective and contemporary medicine. The Bioinformatics Centre, established in 1999 at JB Tropical Disease Research Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram has thrust on Medical Informatics and since its inception, has been helping clinicians & researchers by providing access for information search for academic and research purpose for the cause of better patients' care and also conducting Workshops / Training courses at Regional & National level regularly. SEVAMED - a Quarterly Update on Infectious Disease Research and Traditional Medicine being published by this Centre is benefiting the medical teachers, scientists and students by providing current bibliography and news and views updates in their related fields. The user-friendly databases developed by this Centre for patients' information related to certain diseases are being used by their clinicians.

The present National Symposium on Medical Informatics & CME on Hospital Information System organized by this Centre introduced the delegates to the interesting world of Health Informatics, e-health, Hospital Information System, Databases, Shared knowledge Bases for clinicians, Bioinformatics application in vaccine development and Laboratory medicine etc. Their interactions with the experts and experience gained form this event will enable identification and implementation of specific applications of Medical / Health Informatics. I am sure that the deliberations at the Symposium and CME have provided in depth focus on the scientific evidence for the efficacy of Medical Informatics, Hospital Information System and exposure to creation of databases on the related aspects.

While framing the Programme of this event, the organizers had kept in mind the need of solutions to the day-to-day issues related to patients' care, framing the related databases and providing to clinicians. The articles included in this Proceedings are based on brilliant presentations at the Symposium and CME and it is our hope that the contents would be of paramount significance in projecting and enhancing our present day knowledge in the field of Medical Informatics and would in addition provide focus at the advancement that would be fulfilled in the near future through the implementation and further research activity in this field.

I am pleased that the organizers, eminent speakers and delegates who by virtue of their participation and presentation of their related work have enhanced the image of Medical Informatics. I wish to congratulate the organizers and the staff of BIC for bringing out the Proceedings of the Conference and CME for benefit of medical teachers and IT professionals interested in Medical Informatics

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