Health informatics is the integration of information and communications technologies. It supports the safe, efficient, and effective delivery of health care services and the responsible creation and use of health-related data, information, and knowledge.

As the need to improve both the access to and quality of health care within Canada escalates, there is an increasing demand on health care professionals to access essential patient health information, where and when they need it. Patients are becoming more knowledgeable about health care and want simplified access to quality care. As this trend toward personalized care increases, the need for innovative applications of information and communication technologies becomes essential. 

The increasing availability of information via the Internet, the move toward integration of electronic patient health records, and advances in communications technologies present new opportunities to optimize the quality of care received by patients and delivered by their healthcare providers.

Health Informatics Professionals develop and deploy information and systems solutions, drawing on expert knowledge in the fields of:

  • computer science
  • information management
  • cognitive science
  • communications
  • epidemiology
  • management sciences and health sciences.

Technology-enhanced care

Technology implementations have multiple potential points of failure. Things can go wrong with people, processes and technology.  Health informatics professionals can help by including change management methodology in IT project implementation. These processes allow us to quickly and easily train individuals in becoming resilient and enthusiastic about the upcoming implementation. Pre-implementation assessments can predict potential points of failure, provide mitigating strategies, and prevent disasters before they happen. Workflow analysis and refinement help to improve productivity and satisfaction with the new technology.

Health Informatics Consultants design, develop, implement, maintain and evaluate health informatics applications.  Examples of such applications include:

  • electronic patient record systems
  • evidence-based clinical decision support systems
  • internet technology for engaging patients in their own care
  • methodologies and applications for data analysis, management and mining
  • privacy impact assessments and electronic data sharing agreements.

Privacy

Today’s technology enables individuals and organizations to easily gather, store, process and disseminate vast amounts of data in a relatively short amount of time.  Access to health records is particularly concerning because individuals consider their health data to be more sensitive than other data. 

Privacy is the right of an individual to have knowledge and control over their personal information. To address issues of information privacy, health care providers must use a combination of administrative practices, technical security solutions, physical security, and organizational security. Privacy protection is governed by federal legislative requirements and provincial standards. Federally, in Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) has been enacted across all sectors.  In British Columbia, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FoIPPA) governs public bodies (health authorities, government) while the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) governs private sector (private medical practices, private labs). 

Working with a Health Informatics Consultant can help you to ensure that the integrity, confidentiality and availability of personal health information conforms to regulatory requirements, and that the safety and security of your patient’s personal information is protected.