There is limited understanding of what Health Informatics (HI) or Health Information Technology (HIT) is outside of their respective realms. (Hersh, 2009, p. 1) When confronted with the question of what HI and HIT is, I first reach into my past for an early encounter with HI and HIT. A physician I was shadowing about a year ago, Dr. Zamir, attempted to explain the system he used that contained his patient’s electronic health records (EHRs). My limited understanding of the system he was using at the moment was analogous to my grandparent’s understanding of a cellphone. Little did I know, that Dr. Zamir guiding me through an intricate EHR system was but one of many examples of how HIT is used. Now, a year later, with a more thorough understanding of HI and how HIT is used, this essay is written to …show more content…
Informatics, as defined by The New Oxford American Dictionary, is “the science of processing data for storage retrieval” also known as information science. Hence health informatics is information science applied to healthcare or as Hoyt put it, “…is the field of information science concerned with management of health care data and information through the application of computers and other technologies”. (Hoyt, 2014, Chapter 1, Section…). The different names for Health Informatics include, clinical informatics or medical informatics in some cases also biomedical informatics (Hoyt, 2014,…) Since health informatics is more focused on information than actual technology, HIT can be thought of as being a tool to HI. (Hersh, 2009, p.2) Health information technology is simply defined as being the “application of computers and technology in health care settings.” (Hoyt, 2014, Chapter…Informatics Definition). Some examples of HIT include EHRs, personal health records (PHRs), E-prescribing and personal health tools (i.e. apps that monitor fitness). (HealthIT.gov, "Basics of Health
Health information technology (HIT) is revolutionizing the way we interact with health-related data. One example of this is the obvious rise in
For over 10 years, all areas of industry have been investing in informational technology (IT). IT offers faster and more proficient care especially for the healthcare industry. Health information technology (HIT) is making significant changes in how care is being delivered and addressed for patients and healthcare workers. HIT includes electronic health records (EHR), personal health records (PHI), electronic prescribing and more. The potential list is endless. HIT provides for more accurate and efficient documentation, prescriptions, and education. The Obama administration came up with an answer to help in HIT by instituting the meaningful use. This paper will discuss the overview of meaningful use, its’ core criteria, and recommendations for additional criteria.
Over the next decade, significant advances were made on the technology front, and in 2009 president Obama signed into law The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). The HITECH Act introduced the concept of “meaningful use” as a way to
Informatics is the study and practice of science and technology. It is a practice of creating, storing, finding, manipulating and sharing information (Ong, 2014). Informatics turns data and information into knowledge that people can use everyday. In today’s world informatics is the bridge to all useful things; it helps to shape our relationships, our organizations and our world. Informatics is an every changing field. It uses computer science to help analyze big issues especially within healthcare. People using informatics are able to help solve problems that directly impact our lives and our society. We use informatics within healthcare. Health informatics is an evolving specialty that links information technology, communications and healthcare to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Health informatics allows health information management professionals to gather and analyze large amounts of data into useful information.
As the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs), the subject of transforming the delivery method of healthcare is prominent in the United States. The use of EHRs is a major key in the way physicians practice in healthcare organizations through communication and management of patient information. Henricks (2011) points out that EHRs are a part of an objective aimed at improving all aspects of health care and reducing health disparities, making the healthcare of patients and families appealing to them, refining the direction of healthcare, along with population and public health improvement, continuation of privacy maintenance and the security of health information, and finally reducing costs. In the perspective of health information technology
The health IT system is essential to transform the delivery of health care. Innovation within the IT system includes efficient data use through warehouses as they expand health information, which allows for big improvements in the technological use. These improvements would ensure that data user safety will allow the smooth exchange of information transfer electronically between different health care providers. In this case, most hospital employees and health care organizations understand how the health information technology (IT) is important for the HCO’s functions. The passing of “the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) legislation in 2009, with its specific attention to advancing EHRs, federal dollars are dedicated to expanding EHR use in physician offices and more” (Abdelhak pg. 180). This shows that a federal government has an ability to change in the healthcare industry, so the government should incorporate science and technology development. The private sector and government funding resources will also have a significant impact to play a great role in the exploration of new software operations in terms of advancing the technological environment. Advancing this area of the organization encourages health Information
Frisse, M. E. (2009). Health Information Technology: One Step At A Time. Health Affairs, 28(2), w379-w384. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.28.2.w379
There are many components that required to building a successful framework for a new health information system. Some of these components include (1) better patient experiences through quality and satisfaction; (2) better health outcomes of populations; and (3) reduction of per capita cost of health care (Feldman, 2014, para. 3). Other designs include several levels of abstraction including mechanical (hardware), informational (software), psychological (person), and social (community). Such an inclusive approach is aimed at understanding interdependent linkages between increasingly complex social and technological components. Working together, these components consider social motivations and accomplish a set of social goals that otherwise
Health informatics and health information technician have some similarities, however, different job responsibilities. Health information technician (HIT) focus more on the medical record side of health care, whereas, health informatics (HI) focus more on the IT portion of health care. Health information technician (HIT) responsible for the accumulation, storage and accuracy of patient data, medical record, billing, and data regulatory compliance, and coding. Health informatics (HI) utilized the computer technology, involving, designing database, development information systems.
In this paper, I will discuss the issue of health informatics and will be focusing on electronic
My understanding and definition of healthcare informatics (HI) developed gradually from the very basic to a more integrated concept of HI. In the 1990’s when I started nursing, I associated nursing informatics solely with the use of the computer for order entry by the unit clerk. However, through the years, the concept of nursing informatics dawned on me in “bits and pieces” (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015, p. 7). I had worked in three hospitals that utilized different programs; some were more advanced or had the capability to interphase with the other programs utilized in the same hospital. While others, had very limited functionality or were not maximized as intended. In the first two hospitals I worked, the physicians were very adamant
Healthcare uses informatics to improve patient care. Informatics is a term that is used to describe the use of computers and information systems (Blais & Hayes, 2016 pg. 301). Informatics also includes data, knowledge, and education along with the use of computers and information systems.
Health information management involves the practice of maintaining and taking care of health records in hospitals, health insurance companies and other health institutions, by the use of electronic means (McWay 176). Storage of medical information is carried out by health information management and HIT professionals using information systems that suit the needs of these institutions. This paper answers four major questions concerning health information systems.
Demographic shifts in the global population, greater levels of technological disruption due to the Internet, social media and the en masse adoption of smartphones and tablet PCs are together re-defining the healthcare informatics market. System and informatics theories have emerged as the foundational elements of healthcare informatics supported by the Data, Information. Knowledge (DIK) Model which acts as a taxonomy for these developments (Haugh, 2005). Systems and informatics theories along with the DIK Model form the ontological foundations of healthcare informatics field of research occurring today and will continue to provide a basis for further research (Braganza, 2004). The intent of this analysis is to evaluate the contributions of systems and informatics, the role of the DIK Model, expert systems in nurse care and medicine, and the use of decision aids and decision support systems. All of these elements are critically important to strategic information systems plans healthcare providers put into place to serve patients while giving healthcare professionals the applications, systems and software they need to excel in their roles (Djellal, Gallouj, 2007).
In the relationship of biomedical informatics and its related field, I was able to learn the diverse fields of health informatics, such as medical informatics, bioinformatics, and clinical informatics. I’ve learned that these fields are involved with technology communication system, and they have different types of functions in the health care industries. According to Shortliffe, medical informatics is the field that concerns itself with the cognitive, information processing, and communication tasks of medical practice, education, and research. As for bioinformatics, the scientific field that study how information is represented and analyzed in the biological system, such as information resulting at