The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, and its constitution also asserts that health for all people is “dependent on the fullest co-operation of individuals and States”. The ongoing pandemic has highlighted the power of both healthy and unhealthy information, so while healthcare and public health services have depended upon timely and accurate data and continually updated knowledge, social media has shown how unhealthy misinformation can be spread and amplified, reinforcing existing prejudices, conspiracy theories and political biases. This book presents the proceedings of MedInfo 2021, the 18th World Congress of Medical and Health Informatics, held as a virtual event from 2-4 October 2021, with pre-recorded presentations for all accepted submissions. The theme of the conference was One World, One Health – Global Partnership for Digital Innovation and submissions were requested under 5 themes: information and knowledge management; quality, safety and outcomes; health data science; human, organizational and social aspects; and global health informatics. The Programme Committee received 352 submissions from 41 countries across all IMIA regions, and 147 full papers, 60 student papers and 79 posters were accepted for presentation after review and are included in these proceedings. Providing an overview of current work in the field over a wide range of disciplines, the book will be of interest to all those whose work involves some aspect of medical or health informatics.

The US National Library of Medicine, on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, has been a center of information innovation since its beginnings in the early 19th century. The world's largest medical library and a federal government agency, it maintains and makes publicly available a diverse and world-renowned collection of materials dating from the 11th to the 21st centuries, and it produces a variety of electronic resources that millions of people around the globe search billions of times each year. The library also supports and conducts research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology, and it coordinates the National Network of Libraries of Medicine that promotes and provides access to health information in communities across the United States. As the library anticipates its third century of public service, this book offers a visual history of its development from its earliest days through the late 20th century, as the institution has involved generations of visionary leaders and dedicated individuals who experienced the American Civil War, the world wars, the Cold War, and the dawn of the information age.