Informatics is the science of how to use data, information and knowledge to improve lives for the good of organizations and society. It involves the practice of information processing and the engineering of information systems. Informatics is a branch of information engineering.
It is the study of the behavior and structure of any system that generates, stores, processes and then presents information; It is simply the science of information. The field takes into consideration the interaction between the information systems and the user, as well as the construction of the interfaces between the two, such as the user interface.
Informatics is basically computer science + Information Science.
The word informatics (informatics comes from the French word informatique which means computer science). Used in conjunction with the name of a discipline, it denotes an application of computer science and information science to the management and processing of data, information, and knowledge in different disciplines.Thus, we have medical informatics, nursing informatics, pharmacy informatics, business Informatics and so on.
Informatics is basically computer science + Information Science.
The word informatics (informatics comes from the French word informatique which means computer science). Used in conjunction with the name of a discipline, it denotes an application of computer science and information science to the management and processing of data, information, and knowledge in different disciplines.Thus, we have medical informatics, nursing informatics, pharmacy informatics, business Informatics and so on.
The history of informatics is dated back in 1956 when the German computer scientist Karl Steinbuch coined the word Informatik by publishing a paper called Informatik: Automatische Informations verarbeitung ("Informatics: Automatic Information Processing").
As such, the field of informatics has great breadth and encompasses many subspecialties, including disciplines of not only computer science and information systems but also information technology and statistics. Since the advent of computers, individuals and organizations have increasingly process information digitally.
This has led to the study of informatics with computational, mathematical, biological, cognitive and social aspects, including study of the social impact of information technologies. Usage has since modified this definition in three ways.
- The restriction to scientific information is removed, as in business informatics or legal informatics.
- Most information is now digitally stored, computation is now central to informatics.
- The representation, processing and communication of information are added as objects of investigation,
Since they have been recognized as fundamental to any scientific account of information. Taking information as the central focus of study distinguishes informatics from computer science. It also implies, informatics uses computation as a universal tool to solve problems in other fields, to communicate, and to express ideas.
Unlike Computer Science (CS) it concentrates on the upper layers of the CS discipline and moves away from a focus on computers alone to a focus on computing in context.
The main framework for informatics relies on the central concepts of data, information and knowledge: logical reasoning, basic programming, and data visualization, but also human-computer interaction design and other skills that will help you put technology to better use.
The main framework for informatics relies on the central concepts of data, information and knowledge: logical reasoning, basic programming, and data visualization, but also human-computer interaction design and other skills that will help you put technology to better use.
Because all computer data is in binary format, it can be created, processed, saved, and stored digitally. This allows data to be transferred from one computer to another using a network connection or various media devices. It also does not deteriorate over time or lose quality after being used multiple times.
The concept of data in the context of computing has its roots in the work of Claude Shannon, an American mathematician known as the father of information theory. He ushered in binary digital concepts based on applying two-value Booleanlogic to electronic circuits. Binary digit formats underlie the CPUs, semiconductor memories and disk drives, as well as many of the peripheral devices common in computing today.
The concept of data in the context of computing has its roots in the work of Claude Shannon, an American mathematician known as the father of information theory. He ushered in binary digital concepts based on applying two-value Booleanlogic to electronic circuits. Binary digit formats underlie the CPUs, semiconductor memories and disk drives, as well as many of the peripheral devices common in computing today.
Early computer input for both control and data took the form of punch cards, followed by magnetic tape and the hard disk. Earlier on, data importance in business computing became apparent by the popularity of the terms "data processing" and "electronic data processing," which, for a time, came to encompass the full gamut of what is now known as information technology.
Over the history of corporate computing, specialization occurred, and a distinct data profession emerged along with growth of corporate data processing. Computer data may be in the form of text documents, images, audio clips, software programs, or other types of data. It may be processed by the computer's CPU and stored in files and folders on the computer's hard disk. Data can be qualitative or quantitative.
Computers represent data, including video, images, sounds and text, as binary values using patterns of just two numbers: 1 and 0. A bit is the smallest unit of data, and represents just a single value. A byte is eight binary digits long. While storage and memory is measured in megabytes, gigabytes and so on.
New and current data is more valuable to organizations than old outdated information. Especially now, in this era of high technological advances, out-of-date information can keep a company from achieving their goals or from surviving in a competitive arena.
Take the field of health informatics, for example, a specialization that combines communications, information technology, and health care to improve patient care. It’s at the forefront of the current technological shift in medicine. New technology can be an integral part of medicine, and health informatics is no exception.
The development and combination of computer and medical science has opened the doors for medical specialists, and given patients a better chance at getting the best treatment possible. Through detailed patient medical records, clinics and hospitals have access to much more information, and can retrieve this information quicker than ever before.
How Is Informatics Transforming Health Care?
Dramatic Savings: It’s estimated that half of all medical expenditures are squandered on account of repeat procedures, the expenses associated with more traditional methods of sharing information, delays in care, errors in care or delivery, and the like. With an electronic and connected system in place, much of that waste can be curbed.
How Is Informatics Transforming Health Care?
Dramatic Savings: It’s estimated that half of all medical expenditures are squandered on account of repeat procedures, the expenses associated with more traditional methods of sharing information, delays in care, errors in care or delivery, and the like. With an electronic and connected system in place, much of that waste can be curbed.
From lab results that reach their destination sooner improving better and more timely care delivery to reduced malpractice claims, health informatics reduces errors, increases communication, and drives efficiency where before there was costly incompetence and obstruction.
Shared Knowledge: There’s a reason medicine is referred to as a “practice,” and it’s because health care providers are always learning more and honing their skills. Health informatics provides a way for knowledge about patients, diseases, therapies, medicines, and the like to be more easily shared.
Shared Knowledge: There’s a reason medicine is referred to as a “practice,” and it’s because health care providers are always learning more and honing their skills. Health informatics provides a way for knowledge about patients, diseases, therapies, medicines, and the like to be more easily shared.
As knowledge is more readily passed back and forth between providers and patients, the practice of medicine gets better — something that aids everyone within the chain of care, from hospital administrators and physicians to pharmacists and patients.
Patient Participation: When patients have electronic access to their own health history and recommendations, it empowers them to take their role in their own health care more seriously. Patients who have access to care portals are able to educate themselves more effectively about their diagnoses and prognoses, while also keeping better track of medications and symptoms.
Patient Participation: When patients have electronic access to their own health history and recommendations, it empowers them to take their role in their own health care more seriously. Patients who have access to care portals are able to educate themselves more effectively about their diagnoses and prognoses, while also keeping better track of medications and symptoms.
They are also able to interact with doctors and nurses more easily, which yields better outcomes, as well. Health informatics allows individuals to feel like they are a valuable part of their own health care team, because they are.
Impersonalization Of Care: One criticism of approaching patient care through information and technology is that care is becoming less and less personal. Instead of a doctor getting to know a patient in real time and space in order to best offer care, the job of “knowing” is placed on data and algorithms.
As data is gathered regarding a patient, algorithms can be used to sort it in order to determine what is wrong. It remains to be seen what effects this data-driven approach will have over time, but regardless, since care is getting less personal, having a valid and accurate record that the patient and his care providers can access remains vital.
Health care is undergoing a massive renovation thanks to technology, and health informatics is helping to ensure that part of the change results in greater efficiency, coordination, and improved care.
Impersonalization Of Care: One criticism of approaching patient care through information and technology is that care is becoming less and less personal. Instead of a doctor getting to know a patient in real time and space in order to best offer care, the job of “knowing” is placed on data and algorithms.
As data is gathered regarding a patient, algorithms can be used to sort it in order to determine what is wrong. It remains to be seen what effects this data-driven approach will have over time, but regardless, since care is getting less personal, having a valid and accurate record that the patient and his care providers can access remains vital.
Health care is undergoing a massive renovation thanks to technology, and health informatics is helping to ensure that part of the change results in greater efficiency, coordination, and improved care.
