The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) is a globally recognized independent organization founded under Swiss law in 1989, with roots dating back to 1967 as a technical committee of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). IMIA fosters global collaboration in biomedical and health informatics, with close ties to WHO, IFHIMA, and ISO. Its mission is to unite international professionals to advance informatics science, education, and practice through mutual exchange and innovation. IMIA’s strategic focus includes advocacy, collaboration, membership engagement, and promotion of academic and professional excellence. It also oversees key global activities such as the MedInfo World Congress, the IAHSI Academy, the IMIA Yearbook, and the development of codes of ethics and accreditation programs.
The International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI), established in 2017 by the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA), serves as an international honor society. Its mission is to contribute to the health and well-being of the world’s populations through health sciences informatics. Fellows are recognized not only for their technical expertise but also for their leadership in promoting education, research, policy, and collaboration across borders to address global health challenges.
MedInfo World Congress, is the flagship international conference in the field of medical and health informatics, organized by the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). Initially held every three years and now convened biennially, MedInfo brings together leading experts, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers from around the globe to exchange knowledge, present cutting-edge research, and advance the field of biomedical informatics. As the premier global event in this domain, MedInfo also serves as the official gathering of the IMIA Board and its General Assembly, providing a platform for strategic planning, international collaboration, and governance among IMIA’s national member representatives.
🔹 General Information
🔹 Major Events
🔹 Publications and Resources
-
MedInfo Conference Proceedings Archive (see details below)
🔹 Academy and Ethics
🔹 Programs and Accreditation
🔹 Leading Journals in Medical Informatics
-
International Journal of Medical Informatics
Official Journal of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) -
JAMIA: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
MEDNFO Conferences:
Information Sources: IMIA MedInfo page and Wikipedia MedInfo page
| Year | Location | Scientific Program Chair(s) and Editorial Team | Local (Organizing) Committee Chair(s) | IMIA President (Serving Term) | Proceedings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Stockholm, Sweden |
François Grémy (chair) Editorial Team: John Anderson, J. Malcolm Forsythe |
IFIP World Congress | François Grémy (1968–1975) | Proceedings |
| 1977 | Toronto, Canada | Werner Schneider (chair) | IFIP TC-4 Meeting | Jan Roukens (1975–1980) | Proceedings |
| 1980 | Tokyo, Japan |
Morris F. Collen (chair) Editorial Team: Donald A. B. Lindberg, Shigekoto Kaihara |
Masamitsu Oshima | David B. Shires (1980–1983) | Proceedings |
| 1983 | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Gwilym S. Lodwick (chair) Editorial Team: Jan Hendrik van Bemmel, Marion J. Ball, Ove Wigertz |
Jan Roukens | Hans E. Peterson (1983–1986) | Proceedings |
| 1986 | Washington DC, USA |
Jan van Bemmel, Edward H. Shortliffe (chairs) Editorial Team: Roger Salamon, Bruce I. Blum, Mogens Jørgensen |
Hans E. Peterson (1983–1986) | Proceedings | |
| 1989 | Beijing & Singapore |
K. C. Lun (chair) Editorial Team: Barry Barber, Dexian Cao, Dulie Qin, Gustav Wagner |
|
Jos Willems (1986–1989) | Proceedings |
| 1992 | Geneva, Switzerland |
Salah Mandil (chair) Editorial Team: K. C. Lun, Patrice Degoulet, Thomas E. Piemme, Otto Rienhoff |
Jean-Raoul Scherrer (chair) |
Marion J. Ball (1992–1995) | Proceedings |
| 1995 | Vancouver, Canada |
Shigekoto Kaihara Editorial Team: Robert A. Greenes, Hans E. Petersen, Denis J. Protti |
Kathryn Hannah (chair) |
Otto Rienhoff (1995–1998) | Proceedings |
| 1998 | Seoul, South Korea |
Charles Safran, Patrice Degoulet (chairs) Editorial Team: Branko Cesnik, Alexa Thorlichen McCray, Jean-Raoul Scherrer |
Chang Soon Koh (chair) |
Jan van Bemmel (1998–2001) | Proceedings |
| 2001 | London, UK |
Arie Hasman & Hiroshi Takeda (chairs) Editorial Team: Vimla L. Patel, Ray Rogers, Reinhold Haux, Beatriz de Faria Leão |
Jean Roberts (chair) |
Jan van Bemmel (continues) | Proceedings |
| 2004 | San Francisco, USA |
Mario Stefanelli & Casimir Kulikowski (chairs) Editorial Team: Marius Fieschi, Enrico Coiera, Yu-Chan Jack Li |
Edward H. Shortliffe (chair) |
K. C. Lun (2001–2004) | Proceedings |
| 2007 | Brisbane, Australia |
Alexa T. McCray, Heimar de Fátima Marin (chairs) Editorial Team: Klaus. A. Kuhn, James R. Warren, Tze-Yun Leong |
Evelyn J.S. Hovenga (chair) |
Nancy M. Lorenzi (2004–2007) | Proceedings |
| 2010 | Cape Town, South Africa |
Riccardo Bellazzi & Johanna Westbrook (chairs) Editorial Team: Charles Safran, Heimar de Fátima Marin, Shane Reti |
Lyn Hanmer (chair) |
Charles Safran (2007–2010) | Proceedings |
| 2013 | Copenhagen, Denmark |
Dominik Aronsky & Tze-Yun Leong (chairs) Editorial Team: Christoph U. Lehmann (US, chair), Christian Nøhr (Denmark), Elske Ammenwerth (Austria) |
Lene Vistisen (chair) Partner: Danish Society of Medical Informatics (DSMI) |
Antoine Geissbuhler (2010–2013) | Proceedings |
| 2015 | São Paulo, Brazil |
Fernando Martin Sanchez (Australia), Kaija Saranto (Finland) (chairs) Editorial Team: Indra Neil Sarkar (US, chair), Paulo Mazzoncini de Azevedo Marques (Brazil), Andrew Georgiou (Australia) |
Beatriz de Faria Leão (Brazil), Claudio Giulliano Alves da Costa (Brazil) (chairs) Partner: Brazilian Society of Health Informatics (SBIS) |
Lincoln de Assis Moura Jr. (Brazil) (2013–2015) | Proceedings |
| 2017 | Hangzhou, China |
Elizabeth Borycki (Canada), Niels Peek (United Kingdom) (chairs) Editorial Team: Adi Gunlapalli (US, chair), Dongsheng Zhao (China) and Marie-Christine Jaulent (France) |
Yongqin Huang, Chair (China), Yining Meng, Executive Vice Chair (China) (chairs) Partner: China Medical Informatics Association (CMIA) |
Hyeoun-Ae Park (2015–2017) | Proceedings |
| 2019 | Lyon, France |
Olivier Bodenreider (U.S.A., Co-chair), Michael Marscholleck (Germany, Co-chair) (chairs) Editorial Team: Lucila Ohno-Macado (U.S.A., chair), Brigitte Séroussi (France, Vice Chair) |
Jean-Marie Rodrigues (France, chair), Phillipe Cinquin, Lemlih Ouchchane,, Daniel Pagonis, Treasurer |
Christoph U. Lehmann (2017–2019) | Proceedings |
| 2023 | Sydney, Australia |
Paul Otero (Co-chair, Argentina), Philip Scott (Co-chair, United Kingdom) (chairs) Editorial Team: Jennifer Bichel-Findlay (Australia, Co-chair) |
Najeeb Al-Shorbaji (VP MedInfo, IMIA Board) (chair) Partner: Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) |
Sabine Koch (2019–2023) | Proceedings |
| 2025 | Taipei, Taiwan |
Alvin Valeriano de Borja Marcelo (Philippines), Laura-Maria Peltonen (Finland) (chairs) Editorial Team: Mowafa Househ (Qatar) |
Ming-Chin Lin (Taiwan), Hsiu-An Lee (Taiwan) (chairs) |
Brigitte Séroussi (2023–2025) | Proceedings |