One Health in a Digital World: Technology, Data, Information and Knowledge

Leveraging Data and Technology to Enhance Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Health Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To give an overview of recent research and propose a selection of best papers published in 2022 in Informatics for One Health.

METHODS

An extensive search using PubMed and Web of Science was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles published between December 2021 and December 2022, in order to find relevant publications in the 'Informatics for One Health' field. The selection process comprised three steps: (i) eight candidate best papers were first selected by the two section editors; (ii) external reviewers from internationally renowned research teams reviewed each candidate best paper; and (iii) the editorial committee of the Yearbook conducted the final best paper selection.

RESULTS

The candidate best papers represent studies that characterized significant challenges facing Informatics for One Health. Other trends of interest related to the deployment of medical artificial intelligence tools and the implementation of the FAIR principles within the One Health broad scenario. In general, papers identified in the search fell into one of the following categories: 1) Health improvement via digital technology; 2) Climate change/Environment/Biodiversity; and 3) Maturity of healthcare services.

CONCLUSION

The topic turns extremely important in the next future for what concerns the need to understand complex interactions in order to safeguard the health of populations and ecosystems.

One Health: Insights from Organizational & Social, Technology Assessment and Human Factors Perspectives

OBJECTIVES

To offer diverse but complementary perspectives on how biomedical and health informatics can be informed by and help to achieve the vision of One Health.

METHODS

Overview of key considerations and critical discussion of common themes, barriers and opportunities, based on collaborative review by International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) working group members active in related fields.

RESULTS

Health and care systems are complex sociotechnical systems that need explicit design and implementation strategies to align with the goals of One Health. The evidence-based health informatics paradigm and associated frameworks for evaluation of digital health technologies need to broaden their scope to take full account of the One Health approach. Informatics has specific contributions to make to One Health, for example by improved user experience reducing energy consumption and effective app design enhancing medication adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

One Health is inherently intertwined with ergonomic, sociotechnical and evaluation perspectives in biomedical and health informatics. Health is a planetary issue that requires interdisciplinary collaborative action. The theories and principles of biomedical and health informatics offer many opportunities to transform digital health technology to better serve the One Health agenda.

Informatics for One Health

OBJECTIVES

To introduce the 2023 International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) Yearbook by the editors.

METHODS

The editorial provides an introduction and overview to the 2023 IMIA Yearbook where the special topic is "Informatics for One Health". The special topic, survey papers and some best papers are discussed. The section changes in the Yearbook editorial committee are also described.

RESULTS

IMIA Yearbook 2023 provides many perspectives on a relatively new topic called "One Digital Health". The subject is vast, and includes the use of digital technologies to promote the well-being of people and animals, but also of the environment in which they evolve. Many sections produced new work in the topic including One Health and all sections included the latest themes in many specialties in medical informatics.

CONCLUSIONS

The theme of "Informatics for One Health" is relatively new but the editors of the IMIA Yearbook have presented excellent and thought-provoking work for biomedical informatics in 2023.