Pediatric Informatics: Computer Applications in Child Health (Health ...

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based on citation numbers and other factors. Publishing studies typically depends
on submitting articles to journals in a standard format in which an author forfeits
copyrights if the article is published.
Newer publishing models include online-only journals that allow writers to
retain ownership of intellectual property. Biomed Central began in the UK as an
“open access” journal. Authors pay the primary costs of publishing ranging from
$195 (Cases Journal) to $2685 (Genome Biology) 45 unless their institutions are part
of the BioMed Central consortium). BioMed Central hosts a number of journals,
including BMC Pediatrics and Pediatric Rheumatology and BMC Public Health.
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) has a similar model, provides an on-demand
print options but does not have a pediatric-specific journal. As of April 7, 2008,
full-text copies of all accepted final peer-reviewed manuscripts arising from NIH
funds must be submitted to the NIH upon acceptance for publication 46,47 in the
PubMed Central (PMC) archive, open for public access.
Yet another publishing model is making available the datasets on which studies
are based into national and global 48–49 trial banks.
34.3 Information and Communication Technology
and New Models for Research
Present efforts in building a national health information network (NHIN) 50,51 have
shown promise for creating research opportunities on a large scale. First, regions, if
not the whole country, will provide a population basis for any conclusions reached.
Second, entire sets of patient data will be available, enabling high-quality outcomes.
For instance, mortality and morbidity will be easier to measure, because all
episodes will leave their footprints in the data set. “Population health,” using data
collected across medical records to provide research evidence, if only epidemiological,
is a major strategic direction for the NHIN that has been outlined by the
American Medical Informatics Association. 52
34.3.1 Novel Uses of Information in Pediatric Care
Health information technology has provided novel information-based interventions.
In the 1980s, the use of low-cost office-based computers to counsel adolescents
about health proved successful. 53 More recently, the same approach, using
Web-based applications has been part of ongoing efforts to evaluate the impact of
Internet-available consumer-based information. 54 Provision of such information has
been formalized as “information prescriptions,” 55 whose efficacy has already been
evaluated in pediatrics. 56 One of the authors (HPL) is currently involved in a study
of information prescriptions for parents of premature infants.