Informatics as a separate section within a department of pathology.
Departments of pathology should be reorganized to include a separate section of pathology informatics (PI) in addition to the traditional sections of clinical pathology and anatomic pathology. PI is the discipline of medical informatics as practiced within pathology and encompasses a rich mix of activities. The primary role of specialists working in clinical pathology and anatomic pathology would be to create information, whereas that of informaticians in a section of PI would be to add value to the created information by processing it and communicating it to users. The four major benefits associated with a PI section would be as follows: (1) enhanced productivity and efficiency in the development of alignment and impact applications; (2) better management of the information product of pathology and the informaticians themselves; (3) increased political power and influence for pathology; and (4) increased awareness and sophistication on the part of departmental leaders about information processing. Departmental benefits from the proposed organizational change would thus be calibrated in terms of the ability of the revamped department to harness and exploit new information technology.
Friedman
B A
BA
Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109-0602.
D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems; D008490:Medical Informatics; D010337:Pathology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*