The Relationship Between Informatics and the Quality of Healthcare

Integrating information science, computer technology and medicine to collect, organize and secure health-related data has led to the field of health care informatics, designed to improve the administering of medical information, improve clinical work flow, and raise security of the health care system. This has led to a significant rise in quality of health care but not without some pitfalls.

Quality Control

• Health care quality information systems are data collection systems that provide monitoring of care and outcomes for patients within the system. This offers the opportunity to address deficiencies in health care evaluation, and to improve the quality of care that is provided by physicians and hospitals.

Methods

• The increase in knowledge has led to the ability to extrapolate a large amount of information regarding best care practices. Traditionally, doctors' methods have varied widely, leading to varying treatment outcomes. Health care informatics has helped to close gaps between different outcomes by isolating different factors.

Considerations

• Dr. Joyce C. Niland noted in the "Journal of American Medical Informatics Association" that there is an inverse relationship between quantity and quality of data. In some cases, she pointed out, the greater effort required to complete a data form, the less reliable the information is. As such, a balance is needed to ensure that the data is sufficient in both quality and quantity.