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March 22, 2007

Health Informatics - more basics

Another component to the first few weeks of the Health Informatics class (HMP 668) was to learn about the main applications in a healthcare setting. These applications are electronic medical records (EMRs), computerized prescriber/physician order entry (CPOE), and clinical decision support systems (CDSS). As it describes, an EMR contains patient health data in an electronic format. The advantages of EMRs are that search and analysis of the data can be quickly performed, there is better access to the information (portability), and the data can be synthesized into information for further study (medical trends, etc.). The CPOE creates electronic versions of paper-based orders, such as prescriptions, and these applications have the potential to significantly reduce medical errors. Finally, CDSS can be used to help make or validate decisions about patient care. Such applications can remind physicians about diagnoses that may have not been considered, and should enable more consistent and better healthcare.

Posted by mlswanso at March 22, 2007 11:15 AM

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Posted by: schnitzr at March 23, 2007 05:47 AM

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