History of Health Information Systems
In the Journal of American Health Information Management Association, Paul Wing and Edward Salsberg (2002), describe the following 3 trends and factors: Increasingly Complex Treatments and Technologies There is no end in sight to efforts to improve treatment protocols for all kinds of illnesses and impairments. Clinical researchers are working hard to develop new tools and processes. All of these will bring new classifications, codes, and procedures for monitoring costs, outcomes, and effectiveness. More Data on Patients and Treatments As patient record systems become more comprehensive and reliable, the volume of data collected will continue to grow. This will create a host of privacy and confidentiality concerns. It will also create opportunities for a wide range of data analysis and applied research. Aging of the Population Although the main impact of the aging of the population will not be felt for two decades or more, the growth of the population 85 years old and older will continue to strain nursing homes, home health, and other components of the long-term care system. 1. Explain the significant influence these trends have on todays health information systems 2. What health care disciplines might be affected by these trends? 3. What is health informatics and describe the purpose of health information systems
