IMIA: the global informatics perspective for good health.

OBJECTIVE: To report on IMIA, the International Medical Informatics Association, and on what has been achieved in the period 2007-2010.

METHOD: Summarizing IMIA's activities, discussions and decisions, in particular with respect to its Board and General Assembly meetings; looking at recent progress of biomedical and health informatics through IMIA's Yearbook.

RESULTS: Over the last three years, decisions have been made and steps have been initiated which will lead to significant changes for IMIA. In addition to its continuing activities in being involved (1) in organizing conferences, with Medinfo 2010 as this year's highlight, (2) in publication, and (3) in working/special interest group activities, new steps were (4) extending IMIA's conference portfolio, leading to a biennial Medinfo cycle from 2015 on, (5) launching the journal Applied Clinical Informatics as a bridge from informatics theory to applications, (6) endorsing and publishing White Papers, such as the revised IMIA recommendations on education, (7) strengthening ties with WHO, and (8) establishing the Middle East Association of Health Informatics (MEAHI) as an IMIA region in order to start formalising regional organization and health and biomedical informatics activities in the Middle East. Last, but not least, IMIA's internal organization is being adapted in order to better meet future demands.

CONCLUSIONS: Finding the right balance between continuity and transition, in order to appropriately support, stimulate, and, to some extent, enable high-quality translational communication, research, education, and practice in biomedical and health informatics continues to be a key challenge of IMIA.