title: Where does informatics fit in health care organizations?
abstract: Why is medical informatics important to health care leaders? As an emerging science, informatics focuses on applying computing and communication technology to decision making for clinicians and managers. It enhances the understanding of how information and communication systems can impact the work health care managers must accomplish. As the cost of technology for digital information management continues to decline, organizations and individuals will look for ways to offset the human costs of managing and conveying information. The way of the paper medical record is being replaced by the less expensive and more efficient digital information systems. Leaders of health care organizations need to look for every opportunity to deploy networks and computers to reduce the labor costs of data collection, storage, retrieval, and analysis.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruffin
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D007256:Information Systems; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D014481:United States