The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) defines health informatics as "the application of computer and information science in all basic and applied biomedical sciences to facilitate the acquisition, processing, interpretation, optimal use, and communication of health related data . . . the focus is the patient and the process of care, and the goal is to enhance the quality and efficiency of care provided. Why is health informatics important to the patient? Why is it important to the heath care provider? What problems can be solved by health informatics? Provide at least two specific examples of situations and/or settings in which health information technology is used in patient care, and discuss how the technology is applied to enhance the quality and/or efficiency of the care provided. Reading materials:

Course Text: Hebda, T., & Czar, P. (2013). Handbook of informatics for nurses & health care professionals (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Chapter 1, "Informatics in the Healthcare Professions" (Read pp. 68, "The Definition and Evolution of Informatics," and pp. 1419, "The Push for Patient Safety.")

Article: Bodenheimer, T., & Grumbach, K. (2003). Electronic technology: A spark to revolutionize primary care? Journal of the American Medical Association: JAMA, 290(2), 259264. Retrieved from http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/ezpws.exe?url=http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/290/2/259

This article explores some of the opportunities and significant challenges that electronic technology can bring to health care practice. It also suggests some changes to clinical practice to ensure that electronic technology is a help, rather than a hindrance.

Article: Park, T., & Basch, P. (2009, May). A historic opportunity: Wedding health information technology to care delivery innovation and provider payment reform. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2009/05/pdf/health_it.pdf