Biomedical Informatics: From Past Experiences to the Infobiomed Network of Excellence

Medical Informatics (MI) and Bioinformatics (BI) are now facing, after various decades of ongoing research and activities, a crucial time, where both disciplines could merge, increase collaboration or follow separate roads. In this paper, we provide a vision of past experiences in both areas, pointing out significant achievements in both fields. Then, scientific and technological aspects are considered, following an ACM report on computing. Following this approach, both MI and BI are analyzed, from three perspectives: design, abstraction, and theories, showing differences between them. An overview of training experiences in Biomedical Informatics is also included, showing current trends. In this regard, we present the INFOBIOMED network of excellence, funded by the European Commission, as an example of a systematic effort to support a synergy between both disciplines, in the new area of Biomedical Informatics.