Lesson 4.
OVERVIEW OF HEALTH INFORMATICS Radiology used to be the primary repository for medical images
Health Information Technology
The challenge for health informatics—to make sense of large
amounts of data while ensuring that the processes are valid and
secure
Transition from a manual to a more advanced health information
system is an overarching issue for providers of health care,
managers, policymakers, researcher, and patients alike.
Rouse (2016) defines Health Information Technology
“The area of IT involving the design, development,
creation, use, and maintenance of information systems for
the health care industry. Automated and interoperable
health care information systems are expected to improve
medical are, lower costs, increase efficiency, reduce error,
and improve patient satisfaction while also optimizing
reimbursement for ambulatory and in-patient health care
providers.”
Health information technology vows to provide innovation to health
care delivery and connection among users and stakeholders in the
e-health market
Health Care Software Systems
Types of Health Information Technology (Rouse, 2016):
1. Electronic Health Record (HER)
● also called an electronic medical record (EMR)
● one of the fundamental components of health
information technology infrastructure
● it is the patient’s official health record in digital form
and this information is shared across multiple health
care providers and agencies
2. Personal Health Record (PHR)
● Person’s self-maintained health record
3. Health Information Exchange (HIE)
● The health data clearing house which is comprised of
health care organizations with interoperability pact to
share data among their health information
technology systems
Two (2) widely used types of Health Information Technology:
1. Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS)
2. Vendor Neutral Archives (VNA) – can also be installed for
the purpose of emerging stored imaging data various
departments into a multi-facility health care system
PACS and VNAs integrate radiology into the main hospital workflow.
Presently, Cardiology and Neurology are also among the
large-scale producers of clinical images
Health Information Ecosystem
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (2017)
defines Health Interoperability Ecosystem
“A composition of individuals, systems, and processes that
share, exchange, and access all forms of health
information, including discrete, narrative, and multimedia
An efficient health interoperability ecosystem provides an
information infrastructure that uses technical standards, policies,
and protocol to enable seamless and secure capture, discovery,
exchange, and utilization of health information
Health Informatics in Cloud
The role of cloud technology is undeniably significant in our
everyday lives. Currently, 83 percent of health care organizations are
making use of cloud-based applications
Advantages of Cloud Technology
1. Integrated and Efficient Patient Care
Cloud technology offers a single access point for
patient information which allows multiple doctors to
review laboratory results or notes on patients. Physicians
can spend more time deciding and performing patient
treatment instead of waiting for information from
different departments
2. Better Management of Data
The accumulation of electronic health records
will allow more meaningful data mining that can better
assess the health of the general public. More data can
mean more opportunities to identify trends in diseases
crises
Disadvantages of Cloud Technology
1. Potential Risks to Personal Information
The information contained within medical
records maybe subjected to theft or other violations of
privacy and confidentiality. Fortunately, safeguards may
be put in place to minimize such threats such as
encryption, proper data disposal, and other security
features
2. Cloud Setup Seems Cumbersome
The transition from traditional to an automated
system might be difficult for some members of health
care organizations that may not be familiar with cloud
technology. This technology, however, will be adopted by
more institutions in the future. With proper education
and illustration of its function, hesitant practitioners may
be able to see its advantages
Health Informatics in the Philippines
Health Informatics— the application of both technology and
systems in a health care setting
Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS)
● Was named finalist at the Stockholm Challenge 2006 and
one of the top three e-government projects in the
 Philippines by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) Digital Company Center (ADOC)
● CHITS is an electronic medical record (EMR) developed
through the collaboration of the Information and
Communication Technology community and health
workers, primarily designed for use in Philippine health
centers id disadvantaged areas
● Utilized by 111 government health facilities
● The implementation of CHITS has indeed resulted in higher
efficiency rate among health workers since more time can
be spent in providing patient care (Philippine Council for
Health Research and Development, 2012)

Health informaticss in the Philippines still suffers from various

issues that hamper progress; one of these is the lack of interest in
the field. Health informatics is seen more as a novelty rather than as
a profession.

Health informatics is seen more as a novelty rather than as a

profession

Many decision-makers do not use the benefits of information

technology in the health sector. The large initial expenditure for a
health information system remains another barrier to the integration
of IT in the Philippine health care system (Marcelo, 2012)