NURP589_1_3_1_LECTURE_SLIDES_DEFINING_HIT_TERMS

So, let's begin by defining key health
information technology terms.

I think there are a lot of folks who feel
like learning about HIT is a bit like

learning about alphabet soup, because
there are so many acronyms

to be learned that are new, and I think
it sort of reminds some people, when

they're learning all the new shortcuts and
abbreviations, of when they first started

nursing practice. So, let's just start
with a basic definition of informatics.

It's really science addressing the
structure and the use of information.

The cornerstones are techniques that
structure, discover, visualize, and reason

with information content. So, these are
approaches that link people:

us, our patients, the population,
with processes and technology

together as a whole system. Also, the
methods used to evaluate systems and

technology components, in addition to
processes to facilitate change.

And, we're going to look at biomedical
health informatics from a microscopic

perspective where we start with molecular
and cellular processes, moving toward

all the way to macroscopic, then imaging
with tissues and organs, then clinical

informatics - individual patients - where
most of our practice will reside,

but also public health informatics, which
is a macroscopic view, which we also

certainly look at with our clinical
practice as well.

I'd like to point out that informatics
is an interdisciplinary field.

It includes the biological sciences,
cognitive sciences, computer sciences,

engineering, information sciences,
statistics, and of course,

health sciences.

Key nursing informatics, key concepts
that we're gonna be looking at are data,

information, knowledge, and wisdom,
and this is a field that integrates

nursing science and practice with computer
science and information science in order

to manage and communicate our clinical
data and our clinical information,

so we build a knowledge base so that we
can provide wisdom and critical thinking

to our patients. And this does provide
representation of nursing's key concepts

and assists in the management and
communication, in new ways, of nursing

information that you may not have
thought about before.

So, come to review the major nursing
concepts or the four key concepts

that make up the meta-paradigm of nursing
science are: nurse or nurse practitioner,

person or patient, healthcare, and
the environment.

And nursing actions are based on the
interrelationship of these four concepts,

and of course are related to the American
Nurses Association key core nursing

values. So, as we move forward this
semester, we'll be revisiting some of

these in more detail, and you'll
understand ways of thinking about

health information technology and
translating that into improved clinical

practice in whatever setting you're
in with your preceptors,

and after you graduate.
So, welcome to the semester.