Health Informatics A Global Perspective Tara DouglasWilliams MSLS

Health Informatics: A Global Perspective Tara Douglas-Williams, MSLS Atlanta Medical Center Georgia Health Sciences Library Association March 7, 2008

Topics to Discuss • Introduction to Health Informatics • Global/Public Health • Medical Informatics & Health Science Librarianship • Challenges & Opportunities

Informatics includes the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. - Wikipedia Dental Nursing Health Consumer Bio Public Pharmacy Clinical

Health Informatics (Medical Informatics) The intersection of information science, computer science and health care. Math Computer Science HEALTH Information Science

Medical Informatics • Has been defined as the art and science of organizing knowledge of human health and disease and making it accessible and useful for problem solving • The internet is truly the defining information structure of the global village. Bull Med Libr Assoc 84(1); 1996: 11 -16 The Informatics of health care reform

Health Informatics Tools include: • clinical guidelines • medical terminologies • information systems • communication systems

Global Organizations • World Health Organization (WHO) www. who. int/en • US Healthy People 2010 www. health. gov/healthypeople • CDC Global Health website www. cdc. gov/ogh

CDC website

Public Health • Health promotion and disease prevention is an aspect of public health practice that can be dramatically transformed by informatics • Career opportunities, innovative collaborations, consumer health application development, networking opportunities with national and global organizations Rita Kukafka – Health Promotion Practice

Public Health Informatics • Public Health is concerned with improving the health of entire populations • Informing, educating, and empowering people about health issues • Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems • Diagnosing and investigating health problems and hazards in the community Building better connections: the National Library of Medicine and public health Betsy L. Humphreys, MLS, AHIP J Med Libr Assoc 95(3) July 2007 pgs 293 -300

Medical Informatics & Health Science Librarianship • delivery of relevant information to clients in clinics, laboratories and other health related work environments • creating knowledge-based products and resources

Medical Informatics & Health Sciences Librarianship Informaticians and Librarians are both analyzing how to best integrate filtered knowledge into decision support systems for clinicians and researchers

New Definition of Health Sciences Informatics Health sciences informatics addresses how health-related information is structured, acquired, and utilized.

Preparing for New Challenges • Changes in health care delivery and information technology • Biomedical informatics applications have the potential to bridge the gap between the pool of scientific knowledge and individuals’ health care-related information needs

Preparing for New Challenges • Librarians are uniquely equipped to understand provide linkages between information resources and those who seek assistance • There is an increasing convergence between informatics and librarianship

Preparing for New Challenges The goal is to engage students and practitioners in the process of becoming self-directed learners

Preparing for New Challenges • Delivering health care globally • Addressing societal problems • Health Literacy • Digital Divide

Opportunities • Point-of-Care (EBM) & Ethnically relevant resources • Research (Clinical Trials) • Health Information Programs • Information Rx • Patient Education Materials • Web 2. 0 Technologies