Medical Informatics for

Students

Dr.T.V.Rao MD
 Medical Informatics
Definitions
 Medical Information Science is the science of using
system-analytic tools . . . to develop procedures
(algorithms) for management, process control,
decision making and scientific analysis of medical
knowledge - Ted Shortliffe
 Medical Informatics comprises the theoretical and
practical aspects of information processing and
communication, based on knowledge and experience
derived from processes in medicine and health care -
Jan van Bemmel
Medical informatics
 Medical informatics is
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
 Medical Informatics
 Medical informatics has
been also defined as the
field that "concerns itself
with the cognitive,
information processing,
and communication tasks
of medical practice,
education, and research,
including information
science and the technology
to support these tasks
 Health (Medical) Informatics a
Rapidly developing science
 Medical informatics is the
rapidly developing scientific
field that deals with
resources, devices and
formalized methods for
optimizing the storage,
retrieval and management
of biomedical information
for problem solving and
decision making.
Edward Shortliffe, M.D., Ph.D. What is
medical informatics? Stanford University,
1995.

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Health Informatics consists of

 Information Technology
 Health care
 Research
 Education
 Fundamentals
 Communication
 Knowledge Management
 Decision support
 Clinical Information
Management

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Medical Informatics

Knowledge Clinical Information

Management Management

Communication Decision Support

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 Technology needs
 Laptops for each
student
 Microsoft Office
Professional
 Stedman’s Medical
Spellchecker
 Endnotes
 Adobe Photoshop
Elements
 Medical References

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Personal Digital Assistant
keep you update anywhere
 PDAs for each student
 Evidence Based Ref.
 Disease Reference
 Medical Calculator
 Drug Reference
 Medical Dictionary
 The CDCS system
 Computer Lab
 Student teaching
 Faculty development
 Medical Informatics Improves
Educational Strategies
 Didactic vs problem
solving
 Competencies
 Word processing
 Information retrieval
 Information
management
 Data analysis
 Presentation
 Communication skills
 E-mail, file transfer, web

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Informatics Use in Health Care
 Communication
 Telemedicine
 Tele-radiology
 Patient e-mail
 Presentations
 Knowledge management
 Journals
 Consumer Health information
 Evidence-based medical
information
 Decision Support
 Reminder systems
 Diagnostic Expert Systems
 Drug Interaction
 Information
Management
 Electronic Medical Records
 Billing transactions
 Ordering Systems
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Computer make the Diagnostic-Therapeutic
Cycle,
Simplified

Data collection:
-History
Data -Physical examinations Information
-Laboratory and other tests

Patient Decision
making

Therapypl
an Planning Diagnosis/assessment
 Medical Informatics? Why

We
Computers are cool
Learn
today.
 If you don’t know a little
bit about what "coils”
are inside -
 you will get frustrated
and will bother other
people.
 And yet we want
computers and IT now!
 Examples of Medical Informatics
Areas
 Hospital information systems
 Electronic medical records & medical vocabularies
 laboratory information systems
 pharmaceutical information systems
 radiological (imaging) information systems
 Patient monitoring systems
 Clinical decision-support systems
 Diagnosis/interpretation
 Therapy/management
Health Informatics Tools
 include not only
computers but also
clinical guidelines, formal
medical terminologies,
and information and
communication systems.
It is applied to the areas
of nursing, clinical care,
dentistry, pharmacy,
public health and
(bio)medical research.
 Infrastructure to Support
Informatics Curriculum.
 Hardware/Softwa
re
 Support Issues
 Workflow/Mindse
t Issues
 Training Issues
 Budgeting Issues
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Infrastructure for Medical
Informatics
Data Collection and
Student Evaluation System Student
Arcstream System
and Faculty PDAs Avantgo Server Wireless Laptops
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary SQL Server Microsoft Office Professional
InfoRetriever Dorland’s Medical Spellchecker
ePocrates Photoshop Elements
PDxMD InfoRetriever
College of Medicine
CPOnhand Endnote
Network Infrastructure
Technology Enhanced Classrooms
Campus Wide Wireless Coverage
Video Conferencing

Virtual Library
File, Exchange, Web Servers Blackboard
Resources Courseware
All Courses
IT Section Support
Database Development
Web design
Video Editing
Tech Support

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 Computer-aided instruction

 These include computer-aided instruction, learning

about computers and their applications, use of
computer-based information resources, use of
computers as a tool and as a mechanism for
information management, decision support and
communication.) While medical informatics
includes computer applications, it is not limited
only to the use of computers, but includes the
knowledge, skills and attitudes involved in seeking,
manipulating and using biomedical information.
 Computer and Medical
informatics
 Changes in health care delivery and styles of
learning in medical education have forced a
need to use and critically evaluate a variety of
new teaching tools, including the computer.
While the computer is unlikely to ever replace
the patient as the primary focus of learning, it
does have the ability to reproduce a highly
interactive environment and can mimic many
situations in Medicine.
 Earlier attempts of teaching
with Computers
 The first serious introduction
of computers into medical
education was made two
decades ago. De Dombal
reported the use of
computer-based material to
enhance the understanding
of trainees faced in an
emergency department with
the management of patients
with acute abdominal pain.
Are too slow adopting the
change
 Medical schools
have long
recognized the
need to revise
their teaching
methodology, but
have been slow to
change.
 Patient data is most important
source of information
 As medical knowledge
continues to expand rapidly
with demands for more
efficient coordination of
patient data become
paramount, and the pressures
for improved practice and
application of evidence based
medicine increases, medical
informatics will have
increasing influence in our
working lives as clinicians.
We still continue to do with
traditional didactic methods
 Till recently, teachers and their pupils have
been content with, and able to rely on, the
traditional resources that have always been
available in medical education.
 This involves teaching and learning centred
on the patient, and backed up by lectures and
tutorials. Other information can be obtained
from and journals. For a number of reasons
these resources are no longer sufficient
Medical Education is shifting
to Problem based learning
 There has been a
philosophical shift in
medical education in recent
years.
 Pioneered by the McMaster
and Newcastle medical
schools, there has been a
move from the traditional
lecture-focussed program
to a problem-based
approach (Harden).
Virtual reality in teaching a
priority in Medical Education
 The use of virtual reality
in simulated procedures
is a new application of
computers in medical
education and is as yet
in its infancy.
Procedures can be
standardised and
trainees able to test and
practice their skills.
 Cybernetics
 Theory of Information
Communications
Coding
Algorithms
Probabilities and
Stochastic Processes
 Theory of Control
Operations Research
Optimization
Management Science
 Systems Analysis
Library resources becomes
Electronic
 The modern library places an increasing
amount of its material in electronic format and
increasing numbers of journals are available
either on CD- -ROM or over the Internet. This
represents a considerable saving in storage
space and manpower. Many students who
wish to pursue their studies using library
facilities can now do son in electronic fashion,
and often from their own home
 Faculty should be provide
electronic information
 Faculty must identify the
prerequisite information
and skills that students
need to enable them to
access electronic
information sources, as
well as the course content
the student needs to
"know" and the
information the student
needs to "know how to
access" electronically.
Students should develop interest
in electronic information
 Students' attitudes toward
their education may also
have to change. Students
need to learn that they
must be information
seekers as well as
information managers.
They also need to acquire
knowledge about relevant
sources of information,
and the skills to access
electronic information.
Handheld Applications
 ePocrates
 5 Minute Clinical
Consult
 Medical
Calculators
 Immunization
schedule
 Medical informatics Empower
Students
 Helping students to
become independent
learners, information
seekers, and proficient
users of computer
technology have long
been goals that were
often inadequately
implemented throughout
the medical school
curriculum.
Orientation by teachers is the
primary goal
 By making our primary goal
the preparation of students to
be medical information
managers, we have a strong
rationale for the inclusion of
medical informatics
applications into the
curriculum. This goal also
provides a criterion by which
the appropriateness of
curricular offerings can be
judged and the outcomes of
instruction can be evaluated.
 Indian Journal of Medical
Informatics (IJMI)
 Indian Journal of
Medical Informatics
(IJMI) is an Open Access,
peer-reviewed, online
journal adopting a broad
definition of "medical
informatics" and
focusing on the applied
aspects of computers to
healthcare delivery.
 Information Technology
Basics of Security - 1
• make sure workstation is physically safe and
secure never send passwords by email
• never paste passwords beside the workstation
• install and regularly (weekly) update virus
protection
• avoid sending attachments
• never open unsolicited attachments, always
check an double-check the attachment’s file
extension
 Information Technology
Basics of Security -2
 Never open unexpected file with extensions
EXE COM
DOC DLL PIF LNK VBS (Windows does not
show LNK and PIF extensions)
 Never click on a link – hover the link with
mouse and look at the status bar where the
link leads when clicked
 firewall may protect both yourself and the
world but may also cheat you)
Barriers to Implementation of
Technology

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Knowledge is exploding and
Patients are demanding
Medical informatics improves the
Professional standards
 Our Goals include
Improving health
care through
information
technology ,while
promoting the
renewal of
traditional values in
the medical
profession."
Medical Informatics to be part
of Curriculum
 Medical informatics to be incorporated into
medical school curricula in developing world.
So Medical informatics allows physicians to
access, analyze, and manage information so
that they can make educated decisions in
patient care .The use of computers and the
related technology is essential for
communication and information-sharing with
colleagues, for public and patient education,
and for professional development
Electronic Media should be part of
Education
 Computer technology provides immediate
access to information and a mechanism for
the rapid dissemination of knowledge. The
use of computer technology has become an
important component of education,
particularly at the medical college level, and
computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has also
been integrated into continuing medical
education
Continued efforts by Faculty will
create interest
 Continued efforts must be
made to teach them the
skills necessary so that they
can benefit from available
and evolving technology. In
addition, we recommend
that students be introduced
to computer-based testing
early in their medical school
careers to improve their
comfort levels with this
medium
 Educational Strategies
 Didactic vs problem
solving
 Competencies
 Word processing
 Information retrieval
 Information
management
 Data analysis
 Presentation
 Communication skills
 E-mail, file transfer, web

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 Approaching Basic Sciences
Classes with Medical Informatics
 LXR Testing
Anatomy labProgram
video enabled
 Question bank
 BacusLabs digital web-slide program
 Computer-based testing
 Gold
 ItemStandard Multimedia*
analysis/grading
 Cross
UnitedSectional
StreamingAnatomy
Videos
 Anatomy
 Histology
 Web Path

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Medical Informatics makes the
better Health Managers
 Our primary goal the
preparation of students
to be medical
information managers,
we have a strong
rationale for the
inclusion of medical
informatics
applications into the
curriculum.
MedicalStudent.com

 A digital library of
authoritative
medical
information for
the medical
student and all
students of
medicine
 About.com
www.about.com
 The site contains the
greatest collections of
information on diseases and
conditions on the Net. It
spans the globe and provides
interactive chats and forums
for experts and patients to
come together. This site not
only directs you to outside
sources, but also takes each
topic and gives you the
rundown from top to bottom.
 Best Doctors
    www.bestdoctors.com
 Find the best doctors and
provide the best content
on a site that others can
access free of charge.
Founded by a man who
was diagnosed with an
inoperable tumor and
wanted the best doctors
to treat him, he set out to
empower other patients
through information.
 HealthAtoZ.com
    www.healthatoz.com
 This is the kind of site that
contains so much information
that there's little chance you
won't find what you're looking
for. Not only are the diseases
covered extensively, but the
interactive tools make your
search for information much
more enjoyable. Come here to
learn, then take advantage of
links to other sources to
intensify your search for
information.
 Healthcommunities.com
   www.healthcommunities.com
 his site is specifically
designed to give you
disease-related information
through what it calls
channels. It's one of the
most interactive medical
portals on the Net, offering
chats, discussion forums,
and clinical trials. This site
enables you to access the
world of medicine in
seconds.
  Health finder
    www.healthfinder.gov
 This government portal
opens the world of Internet
medicine. Whether it's
through tools such as
libraries, online journals, or
medical dictionaries or hot
topics that might interest
you, this site delivers
quickly and with reliability.
A big bonus of the site is
that it also provides content
in Spanish.
 InteliHealth
    www.intelihealth.com
 t's important for a portal to
"have it all." This one is a
good example. Whether it's
drug information, a medical
dictionary, or a rundown on
a long list of diseases and
conditions, Intelihealth is
your gateway to top-notch
information. It doesn't hurt
to have Harvard Medical
School's consumer health
information tied to the site.
National Institutes of Health
    www.nih.gov
 Contain the leading
collection of health
research institutes in the
world. Whether the topic is
allergy and infectious
disease or cancer, this is
your gateway to health
information. You'll find the
latest in research and well-
written fact sheets and
brochures that reach out to
inform all.
National Library of Medicine
    www.nlm.nih.gov
 The best electronic
medical library in the
world. It gives you access
to the most important
research and links to
thousands of sites,
sending you around the
globe for the best
information in a matter
of seconds. Physical
medical libraries,
 WebMD
    www.webmd.com
 One of the most heavily
marketed portals on the Net,
this site stands up to most of
the hype. It's nicely divided
for different audiences,
ranging from patients and
doctors to physician
assistants to health
teachers. It has a robust
television service that allows
you to watch broadcasts on
different health topics.
 Standards for exchange and
management of medical information
 To maintain interoperability between
systems across different platforms.

 HL7 (Health Level 7): aims to provide

standards for the exchange, management
and integration of data that support clinical
patient care and management, delivery and
evaluation of health care services.

 Digital Imaging and Communications in

Medicine (DICOM): Diagnostic images,
Medical informatics makes
education Interesting
Computer are staying with us..
 The computer is here to
stay in one form or
another. It is unlikely that
any amount to scientific
data on its reliability or
validity will influence use of
the medium. However,
used appropriately
computers can be of
considerable educational
benefit and will serve
medical students and
practitioners throughout
their careers
Information technology is not a remedy
for all ills in Medical Education
 Information
technology must
not be viewed as a
potential cure to the
current ailments of
medical education.
It may be part of the
solution and should
be treated as such
 Created by Dr.T.V.Rao MD for ‘e’ learning
resources for Medical Professionals.
Email
doctortvrao@gmail.com