Health informatics combines processes, procedures, theories, and concepts from the computer and information sciences, health sciences (e.g., nursing and medical science), and social sciences as a professional specialty and a subject of study (e.g., cognitive and organizational theory) (Bloomrosen & Berner, 2017). Health informatics specialists collect, store, process, and disseminate health data, information, knowledge, and wisdom using information technology techniques. Therefore, within the health professions, health informatics has developed as a subject and a field of expertise.
The purpose of health informatics is to help with healthcare delivery and to improve everyone’s health. Consumers, patients, and clients; healthcare practitioners; and administrators see information technology and accompanying hardware and software as tools for achieving these goals (Bloomrosen & Berner, 2017). Health informatics is a unique interdisciplinary topic of study and specialization within the many health professions since it includes processes, methods, theories, and concepts from various health professions (Bloomrosen & Berner, 2017). Medical informatics professionals have advanced degrees in both information science and health care.
Observing the evolution of healthcare informatics demonstrates how the healthcare profession can improve its approaches and improve patient care. By avoiding typical errors, having the correct equipment to communicate efficiently within the medical staff can improve human health (Bloomrosen & Berner, 2017). These are why professional organizations and education programs dedicated to the advancement of health informatics as a field are critical to the healthcare system. The area of HI (Health Informatics) builds on and contributes to the fundamental informatics subject and adjacent computer and information sciences disciplines (Bloomrosen & Berner, 2017). People who create, build, and evaluate e-health systems belong to this field.
HIM (Health Informatics and Information Management) and HI (Health Information Management) increasingly support physicians’ and patients’ health information needs. Furthermore, health information specialists play an essential role in interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams that coordinate patient care across facilities and clinicians. Health informatics is a set of disciplines that helps doctors and patients with their health information needs. Throughout the medical field, it progressively supports the capture, management, and use of health information to enhance outcomes for individuals, populations, and organizations.
Reference
Bloomrosen, M., & Berner, E. S. (2017). Findings from the 2017 Yearbook Section on Health Information Management. Yearbook of medical informatics, 26(1), 78–83. Web.