Christoph U. Lehmann, MD, FACMI, FAAP

Dr. Christoph Lehmann became interested in the medical application of information technology in the mid-1990s, when he developed the first web-based interactive patient simulation with a natural language interface. Since then, he has designed, developed and implemented several computer-based applications used at Hopkins Children’s Center and elsewhere. Several of the applications include a computerized order tool to reduce medication errors in children undergoing cancer treatment, an online infusion calculator to reduce medication errors in children undergoing IV infusions, a system that monitors lab values of critically ill preemies and alerts physicians when their scores become abnormal, and a Web-based program to approve special categories of restricted antibiotics as a faster and safer alternative to phone or fax orders.

Most recently, Dr. Lehmann and Dr. George Kim, also a medical informatician at Hopkins, conceived and launched the journal Applied Medical Informatics, devoted to original research and commentary on the use of computer automation in the day-to-day practice of medicine. Dr. Lehmann is the journal’s editor in chief.

In 2009, Dr. Lehmann co-authored and published Pediatric Informatics: The first textbook on this subject, together with Dr. George Kim and Dr. Kevin Johnson, former chief resident in pediatrics at Hopkins. Dr. Lehmann is also the co-founder and chief information officer at Dermatlas, an open-access international Web database for pediatricians and dermatologists.

In November, Dr. Lehmann was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Medical Informatics. He also joins seven other fellows this year who were honored in a ceremony on November 14, 2010 for their significant and sustained contributions to the field of medical informatics. Dr. Lehmann has served on the Board of the American Medical Informatics Association since 2008 and is currently the organization's secretary.

Earlier this year, Dr. Lehmann was appointed director of the Child Health Informatics Center for the American Academy of Pediatrics and joined the National Quality Forum’s newly formed advisory committee on health information technology.