The Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Wayne State University (WSU) are committed to jointly planning for and implementing a 2lst century IAIMS environment which will serve as a model for complex, urban academic health sciences centers. The leadership of Wayne State University School of Medicine (SOM) and the DMC have established a solid foundation upon which IAIMS Phase I can build that includes: Strategic plans which incorporate IAIMS; creation of an enduring IAIMS governance structure; institutionally embedded processes for the development and negotiation of information policies and access; progressive roles for the libraries; and significant resources committed to furthering IAIMS principles. The critical functions of Phase I will be: First, an IAIMS strategic planning process will augment and unify all information-related objectives within the institutional strategic plans of the DMC, SOM, University Library System and WSU in the service of clinical care, research, instruction, effective management and community outreach. Planning efforts will study, document and refine IAIMS mission, vision and core objectives; measurement of core objectives will serve as the basis for IAIMS Phase I evaluation and preparation for IAIMS implementation. Second, an interdisciplinary organizational structure for IAIMS governance and policy will be effected through the partnership between DMC and SOM leadership, the Center for Healthcare Effectiveness Research (CHER) and IAIMS critical alliances. Third, five demonstration projects will be implemented and evaluated to illuminate and promote IAIMS's influence on improving clinical care, education, research and cost-effective decision-making as a way of obtaining guidance for the IAIMS implementation phase. Fourth, programs to increase professional awareness of IAIMS will be implemented. Infrastructural developments in support of IAIMS Phase I will be: Continuous improvement of networked access, the enhancement of the Computer-assisted Education environment and the extended availability of epidemiology and biostatistics expertise and resources.
