Health informatics trends are changing the quality of medical care. They’re improving the overall operations of health care organizations throughout the industry. There are changes in everything from software norms to tracking patient records. Health informatics professionals are utilizing new knowledge and skills to support medical care and health care organizations.
An Overview of Health Informatics
Health informatics is an essential part of the management of record keeping and data operations in health care organizations. From managing security and systems to communicating information to planning and implementing operations changes, health informatics professionals have a diverse role. For additional information, visit the American Medical Informatics Association.
Care Coordination Tools
The ability of two or more health care providers or organizations to coordinate plans and treatments for patients is becoming the industry norm. This creates a set of issues for health informatics professionals, requiring additional security processes and assessments. Coordination is an important for referrals. The ability to track insurance information is helpful for not only patients but also for medical providers.
This particular trend has decreased the amount of fragmentation in the medical care of individuals as well. In addition to referrals and managing the treatment plans or medicines of patients, the process also aids in the ability of patients to transfer care from one medical provider to another.
Trends in Safety and Security
Of all of the responsibilities of the health informatics professional, the one that is often the most important to an organization is the safety and security of systems and data. As technology changes, the processes and expectations in health informatics also continue to change. Specific trends in health informatics in terms of safety and security include changes in the source of threats and how those are handled as well as security framework standardization.
Federal laws are increasing the amount of auditing and visibility of every area of organizations, including in data systems and security practices. This can be particularly important because of the necessity of keeping information private and secure for patient safety. Third-party vendors and contractors are on the rise. Many organizations are requiring specific security measures of third party vendors.
Another related trend in safety and security is the increasing likelihood that data operations and security measures will undergo the auditing process as the financial departments of organizations do. The security of digital information is threatened by inside employees and outside contractors. Organization executives are becoming more aware of the potential risks associated with any potential breach.
Performance Measurement
There’s another trend in the health informatics field that requires professionals to stay up-to-date and knowledgeable to best serve patients and clients. This is the increasing influence of performance measurement standards on the exchange, collection, and evaluation of data and information. Health informatics professionals are responsible for each of these tasks within the scope of their positions. More and more states are enacting guidelines or passing legislation to set these standards.
Professionals in health informatics often continue to earn educational credit and certifications in the field. This helps in the ability to stay up-to-date and knowledgeable on changes and important new concepts in the industry. With the reliance of ever-evolving technology in the field, health informatics trends will continue to change.