On 6 February, the Health Interdisciplinary Thematic Network (redeSAÚDE) of the University of Lisbon (UL) organized the monthly conference on "Big Data and Health Impact Assessment" at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Lisbon.

The session was attended by Professors António Vaz Carneiro (Centre for Evidence-Based Studies of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon), Alexandre Francisco (INESC - Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering), Paulo Morgado (Centre for Geographical Studies of the University of Lisbon) and Doctor Rui Portugal (Directorate General of Health). The conference was moderated by Professor Eduarda Marques da Costa (IGOT).

Participants were also invited to "exchange knowledge, engage in academic discussion and strengthen the interconnection between scientific and technological knowledge”.

"The library now has another function," said Professor António Vaz Carneiro, Librarian Professor of the FMUL.

In an interview with Just News, published in the latest edition of LIVE Medicina Interna, and speaking about his experience as a librarian, Professor António Vaz Carneiro was asked about what has changed regarding the concept of library in recent years.

In his opinion, "we no longer need the library from a physical point of view, since all the information that existed on paper now exists in digital format, so, to be honest, it is no longer necessary to go to the library to look for information. Access to the available resources can be done using wireless."

He also pointed out that "anyone with an iPhone is connected and can have access", therefore the library has nowadays another function:

“To provide sources of information and synthesize knowledge, because information is different from knowledge and thus the role of modern libraries is not so much to grant maximum access to the original sources of information (world of biomedical databases ) but mostly to teach people to do this research and to interpret and equate this information."

The Professor left us the following reflection: "how people, individually, can get there, how can doctors get the information they need at the moment they are with the patient", and stressed: "Today, the library has become a convivial space and a reading and social room!"

(source: Just News)

Raquel Moreira
Editorial Team
news@medicina.ulisboa.pt