LESSON 4

OVERVIEW OF HEALTH INFORMATICS

 LEARNING GUIDE TIME
Lesson 4 : Overview of Health Informatics LEARNING RESOURCES
ALLOTMENT

Intended Learning Outcomes 1.5 hours Lesson Content:

4.1. define health information technology; Lesson 4
4.2. discuss health care software systems and health
information ecosystem;
4.3. explain the advantages and disadvantages of health
informatics in the cloud; and
4.4. describe the status of health informatics in the Philippines

Self-Directed Activity 2.0 hours

A. Check the list of public health center that use Community
Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) and visit the
nearest facility in your area.
B. Interview the assigned the health worker on the
advantages of having CHITS and how it improved the
services provided to the community.
C. Submit a narrative report.

Baseline Concept Understanding 30 minutes

Learning Outcomes Assessment 30 minutes
Health Information Technology is
defined as “the area of IT involving
the design, development, creation,
use, and maintenance of information
systems for the health care industry.
(Rouse, 2016)
Figure 4.1 Health Information Technology
HEALTH CARE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
The three fundamental components of the Health information technology structure are:
Electronic Health Record (EHR), Personal Health Record (PHR), and Health Information Exchange
(HIE).
There are two widely used types of health information technology that help manage and
store patient’s medical images are the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and
Vendor Neutral Archives (VNA).
HEALTH INFORMATION ECOSYSTEM
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (2017) defines a health
interoperability ecosystem as a composition of individuals, systems, and processes that share,
exchange, and access all forms of health information, including discrete, narrative, and
multimedia.
 HEALTH INFORMATICS IN THE CLOUD

Advantages Disadvantages
• Integrated and efficient Patient • Potential Risks to Personal
Care Information
• Batter Management of Data • Cloud setup seems cumbersome
HEALTH INFORMATICS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Health Informatics is the application of both technology and systems in a health care setting.
Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) is an electronic medical record (EMR)
utilized by 111 government facilities. CHITS was developed through the collaboration of the
Information and Communication Technology community and health workers, primarily designed
for use in the Philippine health centers in disadvantages areas.
Despite the development, health informatics in the Philippines still suffers from various
issues that hamper progress, one of these is the lack of interest in the field. Another issue is that
the benefits of information technology do not seem apparent to many decision-makers in the
health sector.
 KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

 Health Information Technology (HIT) involves the development and management of health
information for improved health service delivery.

 The electronic health record (EHR) is the central component of the HIT infrastructure.

 Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and vendor neutral archives (VNAs) are
two widely used types of HIT that help healthcare professionals store and manage patients'
medical images.

 An efficient health interoperability ecosystem provides an information infrastructure that uses

technical standards, policies and protocols to enable seamless and secure capture, discovery,
exchange and utilization of health information.

 The advantages of Health Informatics in the cloud are Integrated and Efficient Patient Care
and better management of data.

 Despite the development, health informatics in the Philippines still suffers from various issues
that hamper progress, one of these is the lack of interest in the field. Another issue is that the
benefits of information technology do not seem apparent to many decision-makers in the
health sector.