A History of Medical Informatics

The 1985 edition of The Collection Development Manual of the National Library of Science, defined medical informatics as "...the application of computer and health information science to medicine and health services." Computers are now used in every area of medicine, but that simple concise definition still works.

Information Storage

• In the late 1950s and early 1960s large hospitals and medical schools were the first to incorporate computers into their business processes. They were huge, room-sized mainframe computers mostly used for laboratory information storage. Data was entered on special key punched cards and output via a very slow typewriter-like dot matrix printer. The size and cost of the equipment was prohibitive which limited use to large hospitals and medical schools.

Computed Tomography

• Computed Tomography (CT) debuted as a diagnostic tool in radiology in the early 1970s. At first the CT scans were limited to the head, but that changed in the middle of the decade when the Automatic Computerized Transverse Axial (ACTA) made it possible to get three-dimensional views of almost the entire body. The early technology required hours to collect data, and often more than a full day to reconstruct the data into an image. Now CT scans can gather whole-body data in milliseconds and reconstruct the image instantly.

Laser Technology

• Within a few years of its invention in 1958, the laser was making great strides in safer medical treatment. The laser scalpel was especially beneficial when an operation had to be performed on a small area because it will not damage surrounding tissues or organs. Laser use has been expanded to numerous areas of medical practice, including brain surgery, cardiology, dermatology, ophthalmology and cosmetic procedures.

Ultrasound

• Ultrasound technology allows a look inside a human body in "real time." Not a still photo reconstructed; an actual peek inside the body while the person is awake and can respond to requests from the ultrasound operator. Nowhere is the ultrasound more popular than in the field of obstetrics. Before ultrasound, the first picture proud parents could show to family and friends was the newborn photo taken at the hospital. After ultrasound, months before the due date they could proudly display a snapshot of the baby as a fuzzy little blob. Now the technology and the images have become very sophisticated and the image really looks like a little human being.

Clinical Informatic

• The scope of medical informatics has become so huge and so complex that clearly delineated areas of concentration have become necessary. The area that primarily deals with direct patient care is known as clinical informatics, which is now its own medical sub specialty.