In March 1986, a Canadian colloquium with an international flavor was convened to discuss the impact of information technology on community health. It was sponsored by the School of Health Information Science at the University of Victoria and the British Columbia Ministry of Health. Notable speakers were Salah Mandil, the Director of Information Systems Service at the World Health Organization, and Stan Dubas, the Deputy Minister of Health for British Columbia. This small, successful gathering was the predecessor of the Information Technology in Community Health (ITCH) conferences that followed in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000.

In 2007, after a brief hiatus, the conference was held again but this time it had expanded its scope. It was known as Information Technology and Communications in Health (ITCH) 2007; with the same acronym but with a different meaning as demanded by its international appeal and wider choice of subject areas. The conference in 2007 was an unmatched success and now, as 2009 approaches, we prepare for an even more eventful convention, which encourages experts to demonstrate and share their experiences and knowledge. The theme for the ITCH 2009 conference is “Revolutionizing Health Care with Informatics: From Research to Practice.”

The Organizing Committee feels honoured to promote this event and, thereby, to contribute to the advancement of informatics in health and health care. Many people have volunteered their time and financial sponsorship; we sincerely thank them. We wish, however, to give specific recognition to those who are serving on the Steering Committee and the Scientific Program Committee.

James G. McDaniel, Editor

School of Health Information Science

University of Victoria,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

December 15, 2008