There is a global need to end preventable maternal deaths and to improve maternal and child health.  According to a 2016 systematic analysis by the United Nations (UN), approximately 830 women die every day around the world from preventable causes related to pregnancy, and 99% of all maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A large and growing body of research suggests that most cases of maternal deaths could be avoided with timely access to quality healthcare.

At the Division of Clinical Informatics (DCI) (http://www.hmfpinformatics.org) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, we have developed Alicanto™ Cloud (http://www.alicantocloud.com) social community education site. An Alicanto Maternal Health website is being established for maternal health centers in Latin America to have access to evidence-based education and best practices. We are also developing a database of outcomes for the region. We are particularly interested in studying health disparities in maternal health in low resource settings.

We seek an intern to help in a literature review, help with the creation of databases for regional outcomes comparisons, and understanding some of the resource challenges in our partner clinics. The work would be done at the Division of Clinical Informatics (DCI) is one of the oldest and most prestigious academic research group focused on the effective use of information and communication technologies in patient care and healthcare delivery. 

Founded over 50 years ago by Drs. Howard Bleich and Warner Slack, DCI was among the first academic divisions in the world to concentrate on the use of computers for patient care, teaching, and medical research. The goals of DCI have been to improve the quality and reduce the cost of medical care, to enhance the quality of medical education, to enhance the relationship between doctor and patient, and to explore innovative approaches to research through computing.

For more information, contact Dr. Yuri Quintana at yquintan@bidmc.harvard.edu