From February 3 to 7, 2025, Dr. Francini Hak, a researcher at the ALGORITMI Research Center at the University of Minho in Portugal, conducted a week-long visit to the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). This visit was part of the UMoveME Project, which is supported by an Erasmus+ mobility grant for a training mission.
The Erasmus+ International Mobility Program is a European framework for academic and non-academic staff to undertake teaching or training visits to partner universities within Europe and beyond. During her time at AIT, Dr. Francini Hak participated in teaching activities, sharing her knowledge and expertise on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in healthcare research. Her presentation on “Decision Support Systems in Healthcare Using Open Data Standards” was well received by AIT faculty members, researchers, and students, promoting knowledge sharing and inspiring further research.
Dr. Francini Hak’s research focuses on Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS), which are crucial for improving decision-making and quality of care in healthcare settings. She explored how standardized open approaches can enhance CDSS, particularly through the open EHR standard’s Decision Language (DL). This standard was developed and tested in Portuguese hospitals, covering areas such as medical imaging, corneal transplantation, nutritional risk assessment, and obstetric care. The results demonstrated the system’s flexibility and effectiveness across various scenarios. A Maturity Staging Model (MSM), based on Herbert Simon’s decision-making theory, was used to evaluate the system’s effectiveness, concluding that the proposed CDSS approach achieved the desired level of maturity and effectiveness. This research offers valuable insights into the healthcare informatics field and lays the foundation for future improvements and exploration of CDSS technologies.
The primary objective of this mobility, as stipulated in the Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional agreement between the two institutions, was successfully achieved. Throughout her stay, Dr. Hak participated in various activities organized by AIT’s Department of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and Office of International and Public Affairs. The mission began with a meeting at the Office of International Affairs of the Office of International and Public Affairs, attended by Dr. Sumana Shrestha, Ms. Sirima Sirimattayanan, Ms. Indra Kumari, and Ms. Kanlaya Muangsan. The subsequent days included visits to AIT centers such as the Geoinformatics Center, the AI Center, and the Internet Education and Research Laboratory (intERLab). Additionally, Dr. Hak toured several research laboratories, engaging in experience-sharing sessions with laboratory managers. These discussions promoted the exchange of best practices in fields like Artificial Intelligence, ICT, and Data Science. The visit was supervised by Dr. Sarawut Ninsawat, Associate Professor/ Head of ICT.
Dr. Hak led two sessions focused on her research in Decision Support Systems in Healthcare using open data standards. These sessions, attended by PhD and Master’s students, encouraged dynamic discussions and facilitated an environment of knowledge sharing. Such activities are mutually beneficial for professional development, knowledge sharing and best practices, and building relationships and partnerships.
Expressing her gratitude, Dr. Francini Hak reflected on her visit, noting that one week was too brief, and expressed her hope of returning to AIT in the future. Similarly, AIT showed enthusiasm for visiting the University of Minho to strengthen ongoing and future collaborations.
