Health Care Informatics

Catalog description

This course examines the history of healthcare informatics, basic informatics concepts, health information management systems, and current issues. This course further explores the present and potential future impact of healthcare informatics on the health professions. The role of the healthcare professional in collecting, managing, processing, and safeguarding data to assist the multidisciplinary team in making decisions and inferences based on both qualitative data and quantitative information for the care of patients, groups, communities, and populations is analyzed. Legal and ethical concerns, such as patient privacy, consent, and the importance of utilizing empirical and experiential knowledge to broaden the scope of, and enhance professional practice, are presented. The use of patient portals, wearable technology, and implanted devices is examined. Future technology such as Edge Computing, Web 3.0, and the integration of artificial intelligence is explored, along with its impact on the ever-widening divide between the haves and have-nots. All healthcare professionals are expected to be able to understand the value of informatics and how the technologies involved are used and how they impact the delivery of care and influence outcomes.