The Definition of Health Informatics

Health informatics is a discipline in which medical data is analyzed and disseminated through the application of technology. It is also known as medical informatics.

Purpose

• Health informatics is meant to make all aspects of health care practice more efficient. This includes data storage and use, diagnosis, decision making and medical classifications.

Types

• Health informatics can be broken down into categories, according to the various branches of medicine or health. This includes dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and public health.

Tools

• Computer technology is the most common tool used in health informatics. Other tools include communication systems, software packages and clinical guidelines.

Organizations

• In the United States, the chief organization dedicated to health informatics is the American Medical Informatics Association. The United Kingdom has similar organizations such as the British Computer Society Health Informatics Committee and the UK Health Informatics Society. These organizations are responsible for educating people about the benefits of health informatics.

Significance

• Health informatics will only grow more in prominence in the future, due to ever-advancing technology and new ways of processing data.