Trends in Health Care Information Technology and Informatics

Abstract

It was not until 1994 that the United States healthcare industry established information systems capable of handling a universal delivery system. The healthcare industry has been one of the unhurried organizations to embrace the computer revolution in regards to patient care. Healthcare comprises of the use and management of a profusion of information that must be collected, managed, reviewed, processed, and mined. Technology changes rapidly and maintaining the status quo in healthcare actually means falling behind, and health organizations cannot afford to do that in a technology-driven world. This chapter investigates the trends in healthcare information technology and informatics. The chapter will consist of the following sections: background; issues, controversies, and problems; solutions and recommendations; future research directions; and finally the conclusion. This will enhance the field of health information and technology and its influences on all aspects of health organizations and society in general.