SEDM/Interconnection of Military Hospitals

IMIHO aspires to establish a framework as a basis to define and establish simple, comprehensive and effective procedures to facilitate international cooperation among military medical hospitals and minimizing effort duplication; for example, international research projects often require lengthy and time consuming authorizations through various levels of hierarchies. Nations, by establishing a common framework, SEDM nations agree in principle to follow agreed guidelines and procedures, while respecting organizational considerations or budgetary limitations. 

In general, the IMIHO Guidance and Framework describes processes and procedures on the following subjects:

• Fostering international scientific research cooperation among Military Hospitals.
• Investigating and practically applying new technologies.
• Rationalizing cost and effort; ideally operate without budget.
• Collection, process and sharing of unclassified, non-personal medical information.
• Organizing multinational activities through simple, defined, comprehensive and viable processes agreed by all nations.
• Facilitating collaboration among teams and individuals
• Allow multinational academic instructions and tele-education.
• Increasing awareness -both public and within the medical communities- of Hospital activities and personal work.
• Strengthening the SEDM Process with tangible and measurable results.

In general, this framework establishes the following cases:

• Subproject: A multinational initiative on a specific topic of common interest related, directly or indirectly to Military Medicine.
• Service: The provision of a function, usually in the form of information collection, storage, retrieval or propagation or for consolatory purposes.
• Group Project: An initiative involving experts from at least two nations working together on a specific topic related to Military Medicine.
• Communications: Messages among entities and individuals.
• Educational Activities: Activities aiming at learning, training or experience sharing.
• Non monetary incentives for participation and rewards for excellence.

The primary integration point is the IMIHO portal; by providing convenient access to users, the online system will function as a collaboration platform, as well as a medium to collect, store and publish information and results.

The framework aspires to secure involvement of medical personnel and sufficient participation to the program's activities. It is a first step into building an international, active and ever-growing medical community willing to cooperate -preferable on a volunteer basis in establishing a repository of medical information, a collaboration platform and a meeting place to exchange knowledge, experiences and opinions in an interactive way. Moreover, a fruitful process to accrue the benefits of information integration and international coordination is initiated, in a form of living document, title “IMIHO Guidance and Framework”. This document will be continuously updated to include new information technologies, best practices, as well as improvements based on suggestions and feedback.

For more information, a video presentation is provided below: