Overview of Master's Theses in Medical Informatics in Portugal: An 18-Year Synthesis.

Journal: Studies in health technology and informatics
Published Date:

Abstract

This study analyzes 159 master's theses in Medical Informatics from the University of Porto, spanning 2006 to 2023, to identify key trends, thematic focuses, and research gaps. Frequent topics include application and system development, database management, healthcare policy implementation, interoperability, medical imaging and signal processing, and clinical decision support systems leveraging artificial intelligence. The analysis highlights the program's practical focus on applying informatics to enhance healthcare. Emerging areas such as telemedicine, health information security, and patient-centered technologies present opportunities for further development. The next steps will include a comparative analysis with similar programs internationally, situating these findings within a broader academic and historical framework.

Authors

  • Sabrina Magalhães Araujo
    Center for Health Technology and Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
  • Ricardo Cruz-Correia
    Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.