Introduction: Healthcare Informatics
What is informatics?
It is the science of information,
Studying how to design a system that delivers the right
information, to the right person in the right place and time, in
the right way
Informatics is…
converting data into information
predicting the spread of the next flu epidemic
understanding the human genome
exploring virtual reality
supporting cutting edge research
developing business solutions & more.........
Root word: information
What does informatics do ?
Informatics develops new uses for
information technology, is interested in how
people transform technology, and how
technology transforms us.
Patient paper-based medical record
Problem of keeping and storing
What else? What other
problems that might occur?
Illegible hand writing
ELECTRONICALLY GENERATED
PRESCRIPTIONS
Prescribers generate prescriptions
electronically
Prescriptions can be printed out locally or
sent electronically to the ambulatory care
pharmacy-of-choice
These prescriptions maintain the duplicate
system (original and copy)
e-Prescription
Several features of the system are advantageous:
1) prescriptions generated are later accessible in the
patient's profile;
2) legibility is clear by virtue of the prescriptions being
type-printed; and
3) prescriber signatures are "electronically" provided,
therefore also legible.
The legibility of both the prescription information and
the signature promotes patient safety and
convenience for patients and results in fewer
follow-up phone calls to prescribers.
Dangerous Abbreviations When
Prescribing Medications
Abbreviation
/ Dose
Expression
Intended
Meaning
MisinterpretationCorrection
AU Each earMistaken for OU
-- each eye
Use "each
ear."
BT BedtimeMistaken as
"BID" (twice
daily)
Use
"bedtime"
Intra – hospital
Inter - hospital
What are the services
available in a hospital?
What are the services available in a
hospital?
Registration counter
Doctor’s clinic
Nursing station
Labs
Pharmacy
Billing counter
Record office
etc.
In many ways, informatics is a bridge
connecting IT to a particular field of study
such as biology, chemistry, fine arts,
telecommunications, geography, business,
economics, journalism, etc..
e.g. IT + Biology = bioinformatics
e.g. IT + Pharmacy = pharmacoinformatics
Health Informatics
Healthcare informatics combines the fields of
information technology and health to
develop the systems required to administer
the expansion of information, advance clinical
work flow, and improve the security of the
healthcare system.
Computer server
It involves the integration of information
science, computer technology, and
medicine to collect, organize, and secure
information systems and health–related data.
Healthcare informatics utilizes computer
hardware, specialized software, and
communication devices to form complex
computer networks to collect, analyze, and
transmit medical processes.
The tools for creating health information
systems are not limited just to information
technology.
These systems should also allow for the
assimilation of clinical directives,
understanding of formal medical
terminology, storage of data, and
transmission of clear communication.
Medical Informatics
Medical informatics is the sub-discipline of
health informatics that directly impacts the
patient – physician relationship.
It focuses on the information technology that
enables the effective collection of data using
technology tools to develop medical
knowledge and to facilitate the delivery of
patient medical care.
The goal of medical informatics is to ensure
access to critical patient medical
information at the precise time and place it
is needed to make medical decisions.
Medical informatics also focuses on the
management of medical data for research
and education.
Information systems may used to create
greater operating efficiencies in three
basic functions of healthcare:
clinical,
administrative, and
financial.
For example, healthcare informatics is pivotal
in the movement to cut costs and enhance
patient care by implementing a standardized
system for electronic medical records.
It’s a key for expanding and development of
health information systems for billing, clinical
research, client scheduling, and the
exchange of medical information.
IT in health care can:
Reduce mistakes / errors
Enhance the quality of care
Optimize time; used time efficiently
The Role of Healthcare Informatics
Healthcare Informatics provides efficient
electronic access to medical records for
patients, doctors, nurses, hospital
administrators, insurance companies and
heath information technicians.
Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
Healthcare Informatics techniques are being used
to computerize patients' medical records.
Electronic medical records ease the transfer of
records between physicians' offices and hospitals,
and also facilitate public health research. EMRs
are also being used to create electronic:
Patient Check-In Systems
Billing Systems
Appointment Reminders
barcode
Scanning and indexing service for all types
of:
paper-based records,
microfilm,
microfiche,
film negatives,
photos,
x-rays,
etc.
Computerized Practitioner Order Entry
(CPOE)
Healthcare Informatics professionals are also
working to create computerized practitioner order
entry (CPOE) systems that will allow doctors to
electronically order treatments for patients.
CPOE systems use Healthcare Informatics
knowledge to:
Minimize Mistakes
Decrease Delays in Treatment
EMR
Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)
Healthcare Informatics professionals are also creating
Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS).
These systems are designed to bring the most up-to-date,
evidence-based information to help health professionals
make the best-quality diagnosis and treatment
decisions possible.
The basic components of a CDSS include:
Medical Knowledge Base
Evidence-Based Inference Program
Information Refinement Tools
Why do we need access to patient info?
Having access to complete patient health
information is critical to:
improving clinical care,
reducing medical errors and
decreasing costs.