Evaluation of the Knowledge of Medical and Health Informatics Students for Bioinformatics and Biomedical Research

New technologies that emerge at the interface of computational and biomedical science could drive new advances in global health. Bioinformatics is one of these new technologies that can be defined as a concept that deals with all applications of information technology in the field of molecular biology. This paper aims to evaluate the knowledge of medical students and health informatics students about bioinformatics and their willingness to donate biospecimens for the bio-research and to recognize factors associated with biospecimen donation. A cross-sectional study was conducted among senior students of medicine, dentistry, and health informatics at the Libyan International Medical University, Libya. The data were obtained using a self-distributed questionnaire to evaluate the respondents' general knowledge about bioinformatics, the factors influencing their willingness to donate biospecimens, and their general attitudes towards biomedical research. The results showed a lack of bioinformatics knowledge. However, there was a strong willingness to donate biospecimens to facilitate the process of researches and medical studies. Proper education is needed to increase the understanding of medical students in bioinformatics activities.