HIMSS and Life Sciences Information Technology Global Institute Unify
Life Sciences Information Technology Global Institute now operates as the LSIT Committee under the HIMSS banner
CHICAGO (January 14, 2011) – HIMSS and the Life Sciences Information Technology (LSIT) Global Institute unified in December 2010 combining their efforts to provide education, resources and tools to the life sciences community including research, medical devices, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics. San Diego-based LSIT brings over 700 executives and IT leaders to HIMSS. LSIT is in the process of developing reference guidelines and Good Informatics Practices for IT systems in the life and health sciences.
“As part of HIMSS, we hope to serve the health IT community in a beneficial way by offering guidance in best practices and case studies and referencing the proper standards, regulations, tools and other relevant information for an IT user,” said Anette Asher, HIMSS Director, Life Sciences Information Systems. She is the former CEO of LSIT Global Institute and has joined the HIMSS staff.
The Good Informatics Practices will be a comprehensive body of industry-specific IT and informatics guidance for life sciences professionals. Now under development, the GIP document will serve as a reference tool intended to define best practices in IT systems ranging from infrastructure to data management, addressing regulatory requirements and standards that will help an organization better align business processes and risk management within any life or health sciences IT environment. The three Good Practices now used worldwide are:
- Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) governs laboratory-based research intended to develop evidence of a medical and cosmetic product’s safety and/or effectiveness.
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) governs all manufacturing from raw materials to finished goods of a medical, food and cosmetic product.
- Good Clinical Practices (GCP) governs any research intended to experiment with humans to prove an experimental medical product is safe and effective for a specified labeled intended use.
“HIMSS welcomes LSIT to our organization recognizing the synergy between our two organizations,” said H. Stephen Lieber, CAE, HIMSS President and CEO. “The life sciences community touches the patient, and LSIT has begun that effort with its focus on standards integration and overall body of work. Now, as a cohesive body, HIMSS will continue and expand its outreach to this constituency of healthcare and life sciences.”
About HIMSS
HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 50 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations have offices in Chicago, Washington, DC, Brussels, Singapore, Leipzig, and other locations across the United States. HIMSS represents more than 30,000 individual members, of which two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 470 corporate members and more than 85 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, and research initiatives designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at www.himss.org.
About the LSIT Global Institute:
The Life Sciences Information Technology (LSIT) Global Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing open, publicly available Good Informatics Practices (GIP) Guidelines for the life and health sciences communities. The effective and appropriate use of IT offers the possibility to reduce both the time and cost of bringing new medical therapeutics and products from discovery to the patient. The organization’s members are an alliance of leading global life sciences and information technology companies, renowned academic and medical research institutions, healthcare providers, payers and representatives from government regulatory agencies worldwide.
