1. Björn Smedby – contributions to the Health Services Research and Classifications Björn Smedby, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus Health Services Research Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences Uppsala University, Sweden E-mail: bjorn.smedby@telia.com (Compiled by Lars Berg, Head of WHO FIC Centre in Norway)

2. Start of research MD 1959, Gothenburg 1962 recruited to Uppsala to work with an international comparative study of the health care systems in the U.S., U.K. and Sweden – aiming at elucidating the effects of the health system on medical care use and health outcomes – Publication in Lancet 1968 1964 piloting the use of in-patient register in Uppsala Region – with the use of ICD-7 Swedish Clinical Modification for Morbidity and a Classification of Operations – became a start of a national in-patient register in Sweden PhD 1972 (Photo from paper in Läkartidningen - The Swedish Medical Association Journal - 1967)

3. Professor 1980 in Health Services Research, Uppsala University Academic – Supervised 25 PhD students – Several Swedish research-political commissions Classifications and use of classifications – 50 years of work with the Swedish ICD, start 1962, ongoing work... some examples ICD-7 (1964), 8,9,10 Swedish translation & implementation ICD-8 (1977), ICD-9,10 Swedish Primary Health Care adaptations, based on ICD Reporting Basic Data from Primary Health Care (1981-83) … and still consultant on Classifications for the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare

4. WHO FIC Network 25 years of WHO FIC Network attendance 1987 initiating the Nordic Collaborating Centre in Uppsala, Sweden, first Head of Centre 1987-2002 Examples of contributions to WHO FIC Network: A recommended shortlist of diagnoses for hospital activity analysis. – Final report from the Expert Group on Shortlists for the EU Hospital Data Project. A selected shortlist of hospital procedures Health Classifications in the Nordic Countries http://nomesco-eng.nom-nos.dk/filer/publikationer/KlassifikationshistorieWeb.pdf http://nomesco-eng.nom-nos.dk/filer/publikationer/KlassifikationshistorieWeb.pdf

5. A follow up after half a century … Smedby, B., Andersen, R. (2010). International comparisons of health care systems: Conceptual and methodological developments over half a century. Socialmedicinsk Tidskrift, vol. 87, ss. 439-452. Available in full text (in English): http://journals.sfu.ca/smt/index.php/smt/article/download/749/567 http://journals.sfu.ca/smt/index.php/smt/article/download/749/567

6. Björn: motto and characteristics Motto: “A thing worth doing is worth doing well” Characteristics: curious, hard-working, careful (exact) Björn working place at home (March 2012, age 80). From interview in the local newspaper: Upsala Nya Tidning.

7. The World Health OrganizationFamily of International Classifications Lifetime Achievement Award to Professor Björn Smedby who has made extensive contributions of outstanding scientific significance to the field of Classifications at international level Brasilia, 18 October 2012 WHO FIC Annual Network Meeting