The Internet and Medicine
The First Internet World Congress Argentina took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 8 to 11 April 1997. The Internet World Congress series focuses on the Internet, Intranets and the Web and is the only event of its kind specialized in the commercial and professional applications of the Internet. The congress is composed of a professional conference and of a commercial exhibition in which hardware and software vendors, telecom operators, Internet service providers, and other enterprises can show their products and services and meet potential customers and partners. Two full days of the conference were devoted to medical and health aspects of the Internet, with the participation of some keynote speakers from Europe. The session "Medicine in the Internet" was organized by the Medical Informatics Foundation (FIM) of Argentina, a partner in EU-funded projects. Among the topics presented at this session were: - Internet and Health, by Dr. N. Oliveri (FIM); - The Virtual Library, by Dr. M. Sosa-Iudicissa (EC-DG XIII, Brussels); - Telemedicine and the Internet, by Dr. M. Sosa-Iudicissa (EC-DG XIII, Brussels); - Internet in Medical Education, by Dr. O. Caston (ECTF, Madrid); - Clinical Pharmacology in the Internet, by Dr. O. Caston (ECTF, Madrid); - Teleambulance, by Dr. M. Adeyinka (The Netherlands); - Health Web of Cuba, by Mr. P. Urra (Cuba). During the second day, additional topics were discussed such as: design and distribution of health sciences information; database access via the Internet; security of information; and medical decision making. The presentation of the MERCOSUR Virtual Hospital, which builds on previous successful experiences in this area, was a particular highlight of the day. In summary, the event gave a clear indication of the extraordinary opportunities that the Internet is bringing to the business world in general, and to the medical field in particular, by allowing users and professionals to have proper access to information and knowledge whenever needed, regardless of their location. In this context, the transfer of research results and know-how between Europe and Latin America is of great importance in a global economy, where professionals are keen to build virtual global communities, and companies are exploring the prospects of emerging markets.
Countries
Argentina