Department of Biomedical Informatics Archives

Report identifies IT upgrades needed to enhance cancer care

Aug. 17, 2017—A group of nationally recognized medical information and data management experts has recommended the development of new knowledge software applications that work alongside electronic health record systems (EHRs) to help practicing oncologists access and use the latest genomic information to assist in the treatment of cancer patients.

Scientists create unique disease ‘catalog’ linked to immune system gene variations

May. 10, 2017—A study led by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy has generated the first comprehensive catalog of diseases in a single population associated with variations in HLA genes that regulate the body's immune system.

Talking health IT

Apr. 20, 2017—Vindell Washington, M.D., MHCM, former national coordinator for health information technology with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, spoke at Vanderbilt University Medical Center last week.

Risky business

Apr. 5, 2017—Vanderbilt investigators have developed hospital readmission models that may help prevent payment penalties to hospitals when patients are readmitted too soon after discharge.

Investigators use machine learning to predict suicide risk

Mar. 9, 2017—According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013 there were 41,149 suicides in the U.S., making it the 10th leading cause of death that year. Among high school students in 2013, the CDC estimates that over the previous 12 months 2.7 percent had sometime made a suicide attempt resulting in injury, poisoning or overdose that required medical attention.

Denny named to list of top experts in health information technology

Jan. 12, 2017—Joshua Denny, M.D., M.S., professor of Biomedical Informatics and associate professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt, has been named to an annual list of the 50 leading experts in health care information technology by Health Data Management, a trade news publication.

Investigators apply game theory to study of genomic privacy

Jan. 12, 2017—It comes down to privacy — biomedical research can’t proceed without human genomic data sharing, and genomic data sharing can’t proceed without some reasonable level of assurance that de-identified data from patients and other research participants will stay de-identified after they’re released for research.

Vanderbilt team a winner in health data privacy competition

Dec. 1, 2016—A two-member team from Vanderbilt has won the 2016 iDASH Healthcare Privacy Protection Challenge, a competition open to international participants and devoted this year to privacy protection for genome analysis in a cloud computing environment.

Rheumatoid subtypes explored by PheWAS

Oct. 7, 2016—A computer-based method pioneered at Vanderbilt is being used to compare subtypes of rheumatoid arthritis.

Levi Watkins Jr., M.D. Lecture is Oct. 11

Sep. 26, 2016—Dr. Kevin B. Johnson will deliver the 15th annual Levi Watkins Jr., M.D. Lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The event will begin at noon in Light Hall, Room 208.

Frisse honored by American Medical Informatics Association

Sep. 15, 2016—Mark Frisse, M.D., M.S., MBA, Accenture Professor of Biomedical Informatics and vice chair for business development in that department, has been selected to receive the American Medical Informatics Association’s 2016 Don Eugene Detmer Award for Health Policy Contributions in Informatics.