Overview and Importance of Health Informatics

Why is health informatics important at the global scale?

A robust health informatics system would enable health professionals to detect, track, and mitigate both natural health and terrorism emergencies.

Why is health informatics so important?

Because it can greatly enhance the quality and efficiency of medical care and the response to widespread public health emergencies.

What areas does health informatics encompass?

Everything from the personal to the global; health informatics ranges from thorough medical records for individual patients to sharing data about disease outbreaks among governments and international health organizations

What is the overall value of the health informatics system?

The value of information systems is to help protect public safety and advance the health care of individuals

What is an electronic information carrier?

The Electronic Information Carrier is a wireless storage device similar to a dog tag that when inserted into a mobile, handheld reader gives access to the owner's medical records— records that historically get lost when existing solely on paper

Are there informatics systems currently in place?

Yes. Basic medical informatics systems have been widely developed for maintaining patient records in doctors' offices, clinics, and individual hospitals, and in many instances systems have been developed for sharing that information among multiple hospitals and agencies.

What is health informatics?

the acquisition, management, and use of information in health

"When you dial 911 for a medical emergency, the outcome may very well depend on the 411"...What is the 411?

the quality of the information available about your condition and ways to treat it.