New addition to the ABC series looking at how technology can aid health care
This ABC focuses on how patient data, health knowledge, and local service information are managed during the routine tasks that make up clinical work. It looks at medical record keeping, how to use the information that records contain for clinical, quality improvement and research activities, how to use new media to communicate with clinical colleagues and patients, and the availability and uses of clinical knowledge resources.
After a short introduction to health informatics, each chapter is organised around a typical patient scenario that illustrates information dilemmas arising in clinical consultations. These case studies help make the link between prescribing and treatment.
A final chapter considers the implications of informatics and eHealth for the future of the health professions and their work. It also includes a glossary of health informatics terms.
Click on the sample chapter above for a look at what is health information.
Medical informatics is the study and application of methods to improve the management of patient data, clinical knowledge and other information relevant to health care. Doctors are increasingly urged to improve the quality and consistency of their practice, avoid errors, communicate with a widening range of clinical team members, and keep up to date with a growing mountain of evidence.
Increasingly powerful and affordable information technology is appearing in health settings but doctors rightly express concerns over the confidentiality of patient data.
This ABC will provide the working doctor with an overview of current principles and practice, as well as a summary of common clinical information problems and solutions.
This is a practical book, with case studies from both primary and secondary care, assisting the much needed link between prescribing and treatment protocols in both.
