Healthcare Informatics Evolutions & Transitions Today

The evolution of health care informatics can be traced back to the 1960s. “One of the earliest efforts took place under the jurisdiction of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)” (HIMSS, 2014). The first standards that were developed by ASTM included “laboratory message exchange, properties for electronic health record systems, data consent, and health information system security” (HIMSS, 2014). In 1965, “The College of American Pathologists started developing a nomenclature for pathology” (HIMSS, 2014). In 1974, UHDDS (Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set) was developed by the Secretary of the HHS. “In 1987, Health Level Seven (HL7) began to develop a wide range of message format standards for patient registration, orders, and observations reporting and published in its first version in October of that year” (HIMSS, 2014). The Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) started to research and develop communications for interactivity of health insurance claims and other financial transactions. It is with these first steps in healthcare informatics that this area of health care has evolved into what it is today.

As the healthcare industry continues to grow, and informatics continues to evolve, new standards are being discovered daily. Standards and needs are monitored by Standards development organizations that are put in place to be very specific to the needs of the health informatics industry. “When a standards development organization recognizes a need, which may also be related to another focus area, this creates the potential for coordinated standard development” (HIMSS, 2014). The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) was the first accredited and coordinator of standardization. “In 1991, the predecessor organization to the ANSI Healthcare Informatics Standards Board (HISB) was created, initially to respond to European efforts in healthcare informatics standards” (HIMSS, 2014). It is with the development of this group that several more standards have been recognized and researched.

Current health information systems have many vendors that differ from organization to organization. With the standards that have been put in place vendors must “accommodate the variability of work flow and the availability of information in different health care settings” (HIMSS, 2014). Message standards must be flexible and allow one system to communicate with the other. It is with the implementation of electronic medical records that health informatics will continue to grow now and in the future. When an organization integrates to an electronic medical record system, not only is patient information stored easily and made readily available to health care professionals, but with electronic medical records systems, organizations have better options to report patient outcomes and data.

Telecommunications and electronic records go hand in hand with the transitions of health care informatics today. With the use of wearable health monitoring devices introduced in 2012, patient vitals can be monitored and reported back to the electronic medical record for health professionals to view while in the office or at home. In 2013, “nearly ¾ of physicians use tablets to maintain electronic health records” (Adelphi University, n.d.). The technologies that are available are a far cry from what was previously available when electronic records were first put into use in 1967 by Utah’s Latter Day Saints Hospital. It is with the evolutions and transitions in health care informatics that patients are receiving better care and health professionals are better able to monitor patient trends and diseases.  

“Electronic health records are designed to provide nationwide access to designated information compiled from data found in the medical records created by various providers regardless of whether providers are in the same healthcare system, or in a different system” (Thede, 2008). Globally speaking, the electronic medical record and the evolutions of health care informatics are supposed to be used to help patients receive the care that is needed. Society envelops this type of care as the world we live in is technologically advanced. Society wants to see these changes happen where medical information is brought to them, whereas patients do not have to seek out information for care.

References:

Adelphi University. (n.d.). A history of healthcare informatics. Retrieved from

            http://www.emrthoughts.com/2014/08/11/history-of-health-informatics-infograph/

Allied Health News. (n.d.). Careers in health informatics. Retrieved from  

            http://www.bestalliedhealthprograms.com/allied-health-news/health-informatics-careers

HIMSS. (2014). Evolution of healthcare informatics standards. Retrieved from

            http://www.himss.org/library/interoperability-standards/Evolution-of-Healthcare-

            Informatics-Standards

Thede, L., (Aug 18, 2008) “The Electronic Health Record: Will Nursing Be on Board When the

            Ship Leaves?” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 13 No. 3

            Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/

            ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/Columns/Informatics/ElectronicHealthRecords.aspx