Medical informatics is the application of computers across all fields of medicine. It deals with the acquisition, storage, and use of medical data and information to aid healthcare services and research. The field has its origins in the 1950s and early computer applications to dentistry and medicine. It encompasses many areas including electronic health records, clinical decision support, telemedicine, and public health informatics. Barriers to the progress of medical informatics include the lack of time, expertise, access to resources and systems, and support for implementation.

1. Medical Informatics
Suraj Honakamble,
Intern, MIMS Mandya.

2. Contents
 Definition
 Introduction
 History
 Medical Informatics Areas
 Uses
 Barriers to progress
 Summary
 References
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3. Definitions
 Medical Information Science is the science of
using system-analytic tools to develop procedures
(algorithms) for management, process control,
decision making and scientific analysis of medical
knowledge
-Ted Shortliffe
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Medical Informatics comprises the theoretical and
practical aspects of information processing and
communication, based on knowledge and
experience derived from processes in medicine and
health care
- Jan van Bemmel

5. Introduction
 Medical informatics is the application of
computers-all fields of medicine
 It is rapidly developing scientific field
 It deals with resources, devices and formalized
methods
 Branch of science-concerned with use of
computers and communication technology
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Acquisition of data from patients
Processing and storage of data
Transformation of data
Information

7. History
 Earliest use of computation for medicine - dental
projects
 1950-United States National Bureau of Standards
by Robert Ledley
 Mid 1950s -development of expert systems such
as MYCIN and INTERNIST-I
 1965-National Library of Medicine - MEDLINE and
MEDLARS
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 In India-IAMI-Indian Association for Medical
Informatics
 IAMI was registered in September 1993
 Its Registered Office-Department of Clinical
Pharmacology, Nizam’s Institute of Medical
Sciences, in Hyderabad, India.

9.  IAMI has conducted many beginner courses
 In 2001, it started a discussion group for
Medical Informatics.
 IAMI got its own web site in 2002.
 Its Journal "Indian Journal of Medical
Informatics" was started in May 2004 .
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10. Health Informatics consists of
 Information Technology
◦ Health care
◦ Research
◦ Education
 Fundamentals
◦ Communication
◦ Knowledge Management
◦ Decision support
◦ Clinical Information Management
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11. Uses of Medical Informatics
 Communication
◦ Telemedicine
◦ Tele-radiology
◦ Patient e-mail
◦ Presentations
 Knowledge management
◦ Journals
◦ Consumer Health information
◦ Evidence-based medical information
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12.  Decision Support
◦ Reminder systems
◦ Diagnostic Expert Systems
◦ Drug Interaction
 Information Management
◦ Electronic Medical Records
◦ Billing transactions
◦ Ordering Systems
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13. Computer makes the Diagnostic-Therapeutic Cycle,
Simplified
Patient
Data collection:
-History
-Physical examinations
-Laboratory and other tests
Decision
making
Planning
Information
Diagnosis/assessment
Theraphyia
n
Data
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14. Examples of Medical Informatics
Areas
 Hospital information systems
◦ Electronic medical records & medical
vocabularies
◦ laboratory information systems
◦ pharmaceutical information systems
◦ radiological (imaging) information systems
◦ Patient monitoring systems
 Clinical decision-support systems
◦ Diagnosis/interpretation
◦ Therapy/management
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16. Barriers to Progress
 Time
 Expertise
 Access
 Resources
 Support
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17. Summary
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19. References
 AFMC textbook of public health and community
medicine
 Indian Association for Medical Informatics-article
(://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IndianAssociationforMedicalI
nformatics)
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