Introduction to Health Informatics

1. Introduction and Overview
Certified Electronic Health Record
Specialists Course
Module Introduction
Anthony O. Oloni, MD, MPH, CPHI

2. Course Overview
• 15 weeks of course instruction
• 10 weeks
o Reading Material
o Module Live Lecture – Monday or Tuesday @ 8:30PM
EST US
o Discussion Post - Wednesday
o Assignments Due Day – Friday
o Quiz is due!
• 4 Weeks of EMR Practicum

3. Introduction
What is health Informatics?
According to Wikipedia, Health
informatics (also called healthcare
informatics, medical informatics, nursing
informatics, clinical informatics, or biomedical
informatics) is a discipline at the intersection
of information science, computer science,
and health care. It deals with the resources,
devices, and methods required to optimize the
acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of
information in health and biomedicine.

4. Health Information Network
• Health Information Network in the US
o
o
o
o
Nationwide Health Information Network
Regional Health Information Network
Health Information Exchange
Local Healthcare Networks

5. Federal Infrastructure
Nationwide Health Information
Organization (NwHIN)
The Nationwide Health Information
Network (formerly NHIN, now NwHIN) is an
initiative for the exchange of healthcare
information being developed under the auspices
of the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology (ONC).

6. Regional Infrastructure
A Regional Health Information
Organization (RHIO)
According to Wikipedia, the RHIO is a multistakeholder organization that enables the
integration and networking of healthcare
institutions, usually within a geographic area
such as the state. Health information is
exchanged among stakeholders of that region's
revamped healthcare system.

7. Electronic Health Exchange
 A Health information exchange (HIE) is the
transmission of healthcare-related data among
facilities, health information organizations (HIO)
and government agencies according to national and
international standards.
 HIE is an integral component of the health
information technology (HIT) infrastructure under
development in the United States and the associated
National Health Information Network (NHIN). It
also refers to the underlying health information
architecture for a healthcare network!

8. Electronic Health Record
The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a
longitudinal electronic record of patient health
information generated by one or more
encounters in any care delivery setting.
Included in this information are patient
demographics, progress notes, problems,
medications, vital signs, past medical history,
immunizations, laboratory data and radiology
reports.

9. Electronic Medical Record
 An electronic medical record (EMR) is a computerized
medical record created in an organization that delivers
care, such as a hospital or ambulatory healthcare center.
 Electronic medical records tend to be a part of a local
stand-alone health information system that allows
storage, retrieval and modification of records, although,
the web based or ASP model EMR is more the rule than
the exception these days.

10. Differences between EMR/EHR
• One of the major differences between EHR and EMR is
with regard to how the data stored electronically is used
and shared.
• While EMR relates to the confines of a healthcare
organization , practitioner or a single health office, the
EHR relates to the sharing of documents across different
providers.

11. What is a PHR?
 A “Personal Health Record” is a tool that patients can
use to track, maintain and share part or all the
information regarding their health.
 The PHR can save patients money and avoid the
inconvenience of repeating routine medical tests
especially when routine procedures do need to be
repeated, your PHR can give healthcare providers more
insight into your personal health story or aid in
emergency treatments.

12. References
• Website – Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
• Health Information Exchange | Search HealthIT | health
information exchange (HIE)
http://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/Healthinformation-exchange-HIE
• Difference Between EHR and EMR | Difference Between | EHR vs
EMR
http://www.differencebetween.net/science/health/differencebetween-ehr-and-emr/#ixzz1L3C1PsqV