Health Informatics – serie

Person-Centered Health Records: Toward HealthePeople provides essential information on person-centered healthcare systems that will serve individuals throughout their lifetime, enabling a new approach to wellness that goes far beyond outpatient visits to the physician’s office or hospitalizations. These health systems represent a profound transformation from the present healthcare system because they will enable individuals to protect and promote their own personal health. The center of the healthcare system will be those individuals – not the entities such as hospitals or physician groups. And the circle will encompass the full range of activities that contribute to wellness and to fighting disease – not just those services traditionally defined as "healthcare."The book consists of three important sections. Section I addresses how the new person-centered system will change the way individuals care for their own health, giving them health records that accompany them throughout their lives, across the full range of experiences that affect their health. Section II lays out considerations involved in building new systems, including the need to address human factors such as control and ownership and the difficulties involved in relearning and learning to function in changed workflow environments. The third section focuses on approaches to transformation including focuses on delivering change, open source health systems, critical standards convergence, and person-centered systems now in place outside the United States. Chapter highlights include Clinical Impact, Human Factors, Health Security and Privacy, Critical Standards Convergence, and much more.To represent the book’s depth and breadth, the editors have brought together contributors from varied health care sectors in the United States and elsewhere – public and private, not-for-profit and for-profit – to explicate the concept of the electronichealth record and to define the technological enablers that can make it a reality. The editors describe the concept involved in transformation, define the architectural issues and tools involved in building new person-centered systems, and describe the approaches that make it possible to integrate concept, architecture, and tools into person-centered health systems. Person-Centered Health Records: Toward HealthePeople is a must-have for those with an interest in person-centered health systems that can be built using the Web and Web-based tools. Both business and technical leaders will benefit from reading this book.

Edited by five leaders in the field of health informatics, Consumer Health Informatics explores all aspects of this evolving science. This comprehensive volume will be an indispensable tool for both professionals and students as it details the broad scope of consumer health informatics and its impact on today's progressive and ever-changing world of health care. The inclusion of several case studies serves to examine pertinent topics, namely computer-based information for cancer; National Library of Medicine initiatives; and web-based patient preferences and utilities. Designed for use by medical IT specialists, physicians, nurses, healthcare providers, and professors and students of medical informatics, the book's chapter highlights include patient empowerment; frameworks and models for health behavior change and patient education; patient to patient communication; patient to provider communication; privacy and confidentiality; ethical issues; evaluation methods, and more.

This series is directed to healthcare professionals who are leading the tra- formation of health care by using information and knowledge. Launched in 1988 as Computers in Health Care, the series offers a broad range of titles: some addressed to specific professions such as nursing, medicine, and health administration; others to special areas of practice such as trauma and radi- ogy. Still other books in the series focus on interdisciplinary issues, such as the computer-based patient record, electronic health records, and networked healthcare systems. Renamed Health Informatics in 1998 to reflect the rapid evolution in the discipline now known as health informatics, the series will continue to add titles that contribute to the evolution of the field. In the series, eminent - perts, serving as editors or authors, offer their accounts of innovations in health informatics. Increasingly, these accounts go beyond hardware and so- ware to address the role of information in influencing the transformation of healthcare delivery systems around the world. The series also increasingly focuses on “peopleware” and the organizational, behavioral, and societal changes that accompany the diffusion of information technology in health services environments.

Evaluating the Organizational Impact of Health Care Information Systems, Second Edition, is heavily updated and revised from its First Edition, which is entitled Evaluating Health Care Information Systems: Methods and Applications. The much-needed Second Edition is a guide for evaluating the organizational impacts of computer systems in health care institutions.It provides a practical guide for determining the appropriate questions to ask based on underlying models of change and the most effective methods available. An introduction to various methods is provided, as well as appendices containing survey instruments usable in research and evaluation, computer programs for data analyses, and other evaluation resources. The book provides a critical overview of current research and evaluation to date with numerous bibliographic references from health care and other fields. The methods and instruments described are applicable to a wide variety of other organizations that utilize information technology and they emphasize the importance of clearly specifying the purpose of the evaluation, recognizing assumptions about organizational change and using a multi-method approach to system evaluation. The material presented is drawn from a variety of social and health science disciplines in order to integrate the study of information system with social science theory and methods. Chapter highlights include Cognitive Approaches to Evaluation, Computer Simulation as an Evaluation Tool, and Research and Evaluation: Future Directions.Evaluating the Organizational Impact of Health Care Information Systems, Second Edition is timely since annual investment in information technology by health care organization in the U.S. now exceeds $15 billion. It will prove valuable to physicians, nurses, other health care providers, health care administrators, information systems personnel and consultants who are involved in planning, developing, implementing, utilizing and evaluating computer-based health care systems.

Evaluation Methods in Medical Informatics, Second Edition is a heavily updated and revised volume based on editors Friedman and Wyatt's successful first edition. This book incorporates the solid foundation of evaluation theories, methods, and techniques laid out in the first edition, and builds on it to include case studies from real world situations. Designed as a guide for both the informatics novice and the seasoned professional seeking a comprehensive resource, this book explores information systems evaluation from the ground up. Critique and discussion of actual evaluation efforts will guide the reader through real world application of the techniques described.Just like its first edition, this volume is an unparalleled reference for a broad range of health information professionals. From those in training for careers in informatics to on-site medical information systems staff, Evaluation Methods in Medical Informatics, Second Edition is an invaluable guide to successful evaluation of information technology in health care.

As adoption of Electronic Health Record Systems (EHR-Ss) shifts from early adopters to mainstream, an increasingly large group of decision makers must assess what they want from EHR-Ss and how to go about making their choices. The purpose of this book is to inform that decision. This book explains typical needs of a variety of stakeholders, describes current and imminent technologies, and assesses the available evidence regarding issues in implementing and using EHR-Ss.Divided into four important sections--Needs, Current State, Technology, and Going Forward--the book provides the background and general notions regarding the EHRS and lays out the framework; delves into the historical review; presents a high-level view of EHR systems, focused on the needs of different stakeholders in the health care and the health enterprise; offers practical views of existing systems and current (and short-term future) issues in specifying a EHR system and deciding how to approach the institution of such a system; deals with technology issues, from front- to back-end; and describes where we are and where we should be going with EHR systems.Designed for use by chief information officers, chief medical informatics officers, medical liaisons to hospital systems, private practitioners, and business managers at academic and non-academic hospitals, care management organizations, and practices. The book could be used in any medical or health informatics course, at any level (undergrad, fellowship, MBA).

Healthcare practitioners and managers increasingly find themselves in clinical situations where they have to think fast and process myriad diagnostic test results, medications and past treatment responses in order to make decisions. Effective problem solving in the clinical environment or classroom simulated lab depends on a healthcare professional's immediate access to fresh information. Unable to consult a library for information, the healthcare practitioner must learn to effectively manage knowledge while thinking on their toes.Knowledge Management (KM) holds the key to this dilemma in the healthcare environment. KM places value on the tacit knowledge that individuals hold within an institution and often makes use of IT to free up the collective wisdom of individuals within an organization. Healthcare Knowledge Management: Issues, Advances and Successes will explore the nature of KM within contemporary healthcare institutions and associated organizations. It will provide readers with an understanding of approaches to the critical nature and use of knowledge by investigating healthcare-based KM systems. Designed to demystify the KM process and demonstrate its applicability in healthcare, this text offers contemporary and clinically-relevant lessons for future organizational implementations.The editors of this book have assembled a group of international contributors that reflects the diversity of KM applications in the healthcare sector. While many KM texts suffer from pitching theoretical issues at too technical a level, Healthcare Knowledge Management approaches the topic from the more versatile "twin" perspectives of both academia and commerce. This unique text is integrative in nature – a practical guide to managing and developing KM that is underpinned by theory and research.

Strategic Information Management In Hospitals: An Introduction To Hospital Information Systems is a definitive volume written by four authoritative voices in medical informatics. Illustrating the importance of hospital information management in delivering high quality health care at the lowest possible cost, this book provides the essential resources needed by the medical informatics specialist to understand and successfully manage the complex nature of hospital information systems. Author of the book's Foreword, Reed M. Gardner, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Informatics, University of Utah and LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, applauds the text's focus on the underlying administrative systems that are in place in hospitals throughout the world. He writes, "These administrative systems are fundamental to the development and implementation of the even more challenging systems that acquire, process, and manage the patient's clinical information. Hospital information systems provide a major part of the information needed by those paying for health care." Chapter highlights include: significance of information processing in hospitals; information systems and their components; health information systems; architectures of hospital information systems; and organizational structures for information management.

This series is directed to healthcare professionals who are leading the trans­ formation of health care by using information and knowledge. Launched in 1988 as Computers in Health Care, the series offers a broad range of titles: some addressed to specific professions such as nursing, medicine, and health administration; others to special areas of practice such as trauma and radiol­ ogy. Still other books in the series focus on interdisciplinary issues, such as the computer-based patient record, electronic health records, and networked healthcare systems. Renamed Health Informatics in 1998 to reflect the rapid evolution in the discipline now known as health informatics, the series will continue to add titles that contribute to the evolution of the field. In the series, eminent ex­ perts, serving as editors or authors, offer their accounts of innovations in health informatics. Increasingly, these accounts go beyond hardware and soft­ ware to address the role of information in influencing the transformation of healthcare deli very systems around the world. The series also increasingly focuses on "peopleware" and the organizational, behavioral, and societal changes that accompany the diffusion of information technology in health services environments.

Health institutions are investing in and fielding information technology solutions at an unprecedented pace. With the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine around information technology solutions for patient safety, mandates from industry groups such as Leapfrog about using infor­ mation systems to improve health care, and the move toward evidence­ based practice, health institutions cannot afford to retain manual practices. The installation of multi-million dollar computerized health systems repre­ sents the very life blood of contemporary clinical operations and a crucial link to the financial viability of institutions. Yet, the implementation of health information systems is exceptionally complex, expensive and often just plain messy. The need for improvement in the art and science of systems implemen­ tation is clear: up to 70-80% of information technology installations fail. The reasons are multi-faceted, ranging from the complexity of the diverse workflows being computerized, the intricate nature of health organizations, the knowledge and skills of users to other reasons such as strategies for obtaining key executive support, weaving through the politics peculiar to the institution, and technical facets including the usability of systems. Thus, the art and science of successfully implementing systems remains deeply layered in elusiveness. Still, given the pervasiveness of system implementa­ tions and the importance of the outcomes, this is a critical topic, especially for nurses and informatics nurse specialists.

As the Internet's presence in health care grows more pervasive, an increasing number of health care providers have begun to implement eHealth innovations in their practice. The interactive health communication system (IHCS), one such eHealth solution, provides consumers with information, informal support, and a venue for communication. Investing in eHealth: What it Takes to Sustain Consumer Health Informatics examines the evolution of the IHCS and the significant changes in organizational culture and operational systems that may be required for successful and sustained implementation.This book explores the development of a model (funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 1998) to predict and explain the degree of success of such implementation efforts. This model allows an institution to benchmark its progress towards IHCS implementation and advises administrators where to invest resources to increase the chance of successful implementation. A set of case studies highlights key features of the model; each study describes an attempt by an organization to implement the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS), a proven IHCS. After examining the success or failure of each particular implementation, the book suggests steps that could have been taken to address weaknesses identified by the model. Investing in eHealth culminates in a set of general guidelines for any health care provider striving to successfully employ the model, and suggests directions for future research.

Nurses are constantly involved with projects; staff nurses develop plans of care, nurse managers determine projected staffing patterns, staff development instructors create courses, informatics nurses implement software applications. The project management process can be utilized to facilitate these and many other nursing projects.Project Management for Healthcare Informatics will provide an explanation of the project management process tailored for nurses through its use of real clinical examples. In the first chapters, the project management process will be described in detail along with its relationship to the phases of the project life cycle. The tools available to successfully complete each phase of the project management process and move along the project life cycle will be included. The rest of the book will be devoted to discussion on how to apply these principles in the day-to-day work of the nurse—whether manager, staff nurse, educator, researcher, or informatician. Case studies and project examples will comprise the majority of material in these chapters.Many books on project management exist, ranging from college text books to handbooks for the practicing project manager. No books, however, are specifically focused on project management for nurses. Project Management for Healthcare Informatics will fill this gap. This book will serve as a text for nurses who want to become knowledgeable in project management and/or as a reference to those nurses actually managing real world healthcare projects.

The ability to interface patient monitors directly to a computer, and generate a clinical record has existed for over 20 years. However, the acceptance of comprehensive electronic medical records in anesthesia has been slow to develop. Experts anticipate this reluctance is changing because of enhanced patient care through the use of detailed health information record systems. Anesthesia Informatics provides the health informatician and administrator with a comprehensive overview of this blossoming technology. With contributions from leaders in the field, this user-friendly guide addresses how this technology has enhanced both the need for and the ability to collect and apply data in an acute care setting. It also offers invaluable insight on the business implications and the rationales required to make a purchase decision. Each section outlines need to know information to help the reader with the implementation and utilization of an Anesthesia Information Management System.  Useful case scenarios focus on the ideal components (anesthesia record, business rationale, communication, collaboration, and training) of a fully automated record-keeping system.

Now is a critical time in pediatric informatics. As information technologies—electronic health records (EHRs), personal health records (PHRs), computerized physician order entry (CPOE)—and standards (HL7) are developed to improve the quality of health care, it is imperative for policy makers and pediatricians to be aware of their impact on pediatric care and child health. Informed child advocates must be at the planning table as national and regional health information networks are developed to insure the unique health care needs of children are being met. Pediatric Informatics: Computer Applications in Child Health is a current digest of the important trends in pediatric informatics, written by leading experts in the field. This book explores how the management of biomedical data, information, and knowledge can optimize and advance child health. The contributors investigate the specific importance of pediatric informatics is derived from the biological, psychological, social and cultural needs that the distinguish children from other populations. These distinctions create complexities in the management of pediatric data and information that make children a vulnerable population and require the development of a new body of knowledge in pediatric informatics.

This series is directed to healthcare professionals who are leading the transfor- tion of health care by using information and knowledge to advance the quality of patient care. Launched in 1988 as Computers in Health Care, the series offers a broad range of titles: some are addressed to speci?c professions such as nursing, medicine, and health administration; others to special areas of practice such as trauma and radiology. Still other books in this series focus on interdisciplinary issues, such as the computer-based patient record, electronic health records, and networked healthcare systems. Renamed Health Informatics in 1998 to re?ect the rapid evolution in the discipline now known as health informatics, the series continues to add titles that contribute to the evolution of the ?eld. In this series, eminent experts, serving as editors or authors, offer their accounts of innovation in health informatics. Incre- ingly, these accounts go beyond hardware and software to address the roleof information in in?uencing the transformation of healthcare delivery systems around the world. The series also increasingly focuses on “peopleware” and the organi- tional, behavioral, and societal changes that accompany the diffusion of infor- tion technology in health services environments.

In the current era of health care reform, the pressures to truly manage patient care and to build effective integrated delivery systems are generating intense interest in patient care information systems. Health care institutions cannot provide seamlees access to care without seamless access to information, and they cannot manage and improve care without improved information management. Patient Care Information Systems examines how to design and implement these systems so they successfully meet the needs of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers. In one convenient reference, the authors summarize and synthesize previously disparate research and case experiences on these systems and suggest future directions based on the evolving demands of administrators and caregivers.

Information and the technology to rapidly transmit, analyze, document, and disperse this information are increasing arithmetically, if not logarithmi­ cally. Arguably, no discipline better exemplifies this trend than medicine. It can be further argued that care of the trauma patient is one of the better examples of informatics and the potential benefit to the health profession­ als who care for these patients. Maull and Augenstein have provided us with a primer on informatics and its use in trauma care. The subject matter is timely and covers the gamut of trauma care from prehospital to rehabilitation. Who will benefit from trauma informatics? A simple answer would be anyone who takes care of trauma patients. From a broader perspective, however, at least three examples illustrate how trauma informatics can be used today to exert a positive effect on patient outcome. The first example is care of combat casualties, including battlefield resuscitation, evacuation, acute care, and ultimate return to the continental United States. Current technology is such that via global positioning satellite, a corpsman could transmit to a remote area the vital signs and pertinent physical findings of a combat casualty. Furthermore, the location of the corpsman and the casu­ alty would be precisely known, and consultation and destination disposition would be possible. The injured person, when admitted to a combat support hospital, could be continuously monitored and additional remote consulta­ tion obtained.

Introduction to Clinical Informatics fills a void in the Computer in Health Care series. With this volume, Patrice Degoulet and Marius Fieschi provide a comprehensive view of medical informatics and carry that concept forward into the realm of clinical informatics. The authors draw upon their experi­ ences as medical school faculty members in France, where informatics has long been integrated into the curriculum and where the French version of this very book has been used, tested, and revised. In intent and content, this volume stands as the companion volume to Introduction to Nursing Informatics, one of the series' best selling titles. For practitioners and students of medicine, pharmacy, and other health profes­ sions, Introduction to Clinical Informatics offers an essential understanding how computing can support patient care, clarifying practical uses and critical issues. Today medical schools in the United States are making informatics a part of their curriculum, with required medical informatics blocks at the onset of training serving as the base for problem-based learning throughout the course of study. In an increasingly networked and computerized environ­ ment, health-care providers are having to alter how they practice. Whether in the office, the clinic, or the hospital, health-care professionals have access to a growing array of capabilities and tools as they deliver care. Learning to use these becomes a top priority, and this volume becomes a valuable resource.

The computerization activi­ ties described in these pages began in 1977 at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), but we devoted most of our focus and efforts to building and then implementing the extensive hospital information system known as the Decentralized Hospital Computer System (DHCP) throughout VA.

This book focuses on current federal sector efforts to shape healthcare, i.e., to improve performance while containing costs. The solutions offered include redesigning processes and, where appropriate, the use of enabling technologies to do so. Since historically, innovations in the federal sector have often migrated to and profoundly changed practices in the private sector, many of the initiatives described involve some degree of partnering between the public and private sector. Others represent work in the federal sector that address the same problems confronted in the private sector and offer valuable and transferable solutions and approaches. The major strength of this book is its use of concrete examples that show how process redesign and the integration of enabling technologies have led to performance improvement and cost reduction in the largest healthcare system in the world. The contributors--all acknowledged experts in their fields--draw upon their knowledge of the healthcare industry and their expertise in working within and with the federal sector health system.They focus on exciting changes and improvements, and they elaborate on strategies for the future that will reshape federal sector healthcare. The book does not intend to give "correct answers," but to demonstrate mature thinking in shaping healthcare in general. In the years ahead, engineering healthcare to meet the demands of newly knowledgeable consumers will be critical. In addition to giving insights into what the federal sector leadership is doing to address the challenges of population health, each chapter will highlight the perspective of employers, payers, and deliverers of health services.

Medical Data Management is a systematic introduction to the basic methodology of professional clinical data management. It emphasizes generic methods of medical documentation applicable to such diverse tasks as the electronic patient record, maintaining a clinical trials database, and building a tumor registry. This book is for all students in medical informatics and health information management, and it is ideal for both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. The book also guides professionals in the design and use of clinical information systems in various health care settings. It is an invaluable resource for all health care professionals involved in designing, assessing, adapting, or using clinical data management systems in hospitals, outpatient clinics, study centers, health plans, etc. The book combines a consistent theoretical foundation of medical documentation methods outlining their practical applicability in real clinical data management systems. Two new chapters detail hospital information systems and clinical trials. There is a focus on the international classification of diseases (ICD-9 and -10) systems, as well as a discussion on the difference between the two codes. All chapters feature exercises, bullet points, and a summary to provide the reader with essential points to remember. New to the Third Edition is a comprehensive section comprised of a combined Thesaurus and Glossary which aims to clarify the unclear and sometimes inconsistent terminology surrounding the topic.

New and expanded to reflect changes on the Internet, especially the explosive growth of the World Wide Web, this best-selling book is primer to the Internet for those who have little or no computer experience and a time-saving guide to resources for the more experienced surfer. In plain language it describes the Internet, how it works, and how to use various Internet tools. In addition, it provides an extensive listing of health-related Internet resources accompanied by reviews and descriptions - not just URLs - of dozens of health-related topics. From the online "American Journal of Nursing" to the "Virtual Nursing Centre," this third edition contains hundreds of new sites, as well as an expanded section devoted to the use of search engines. The reader will find this directory a treasure trove of information resources available for health care professionals on the Internet. When you need to have up-to-the-minute information at your fingertips, when you need to know about the latest changes in health care reform - that's when you discover the real power of the Internet. It allows you to exchange information with peers around the world instantly, giving you the knowledge edge to keep your nursing or health care practice professional and progressive.

This book will provide an overview of the state of the art in behavioral health care informatics as well as discussing the challenges on the horizon, such as organizational issues, human-centered issues, educating healthcare executives about technology issues, educating clinicians about behavioral informatics systems, and consumer issues. In addition to significant contributions by the editors, the book will contain contributions from a small number of acknowledged experts within their respective fields.As daily living becomes more stressful, socio-psychological or behavioral related problems become more intense. Informatics has the potential to transform the world of behavioral practitioners to enable them to assist people more easily. This book will focus on informatics-related topics that all disciplines connected to the behavioral health will find very useful for their day-to-day practice.

This series is directed to health care professionals who are leading the tra- formation of health care by using information and knowledge. Launched in 1988 as Computers in Health Care, the series offers a broad range of titles: some addressed to specific professions such as nursing, medicine, and health administration; others to special areas of practice such as trauma and radi- ogy. Still other books in the series focus on interdisciplinary issues, such as the computer-based patient record, electronic health records, and networked health care systems. Renamed Health Informatics in 1998 to reflect the rapid evolution in the discipline now known as health informatics, the series will continue to add titles that contribute to the evolution of the field. In the series, eminent - perts, serving as editors or authors, offer their accounts of innovations in health informatics. Increasingly, these accounts go beyond hardware and so- ware to address the role of information in influencing the transformation of healthcare delivery systems around the world. The series also increasingly focuses on “peopleware” and the organizational, behavioral, and societal changes that accompany the diffusion of information technology in health services environments.

Cancer Informatics chronicles the development of the National Cancer Institute's new Cancer Informatics Infrastructure (CII) - an information management system infrastructure designed to faciliate clinical trials, provide for reliable, secure information exchange, and improve patient care. The book details the challenges involved in creating and managing such a knowledge base, including technologies, standards, and current, state-of-the-art applications.The ultimate goal of CII is to function as an enabler of clinical trials, expediting the clinical trials lifecycle, faciliating faster and safer drug development and more appropriate treatment choices for cancer patients. Contributors address the role the CII must play in converting the growing knowledge of genes, proteins, and pathways into appropriate preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Presented in four sections, the first provides an overview of the processes involved in moving the infrastructure for cancer from theory into practice. Sections two through four offer the latest work done in the areas of technology, cancer-specific and national standards, and applications to faciliate clinical trials.

Informatics, the study of the science of information and related disciplines, is being increasingly applied to medicine and healthcare. Medical schools are de­ veloping departments, divisions, and sections of medical (or biomedical) infor­ matics, and curricula are being created for medical students and residents. For many practicing physicians, questions such as "What is informatics?" and "Why is informatics important in medicine?" are becoming commonplace. Further, once these basics are understood, many physicians seek more complete information about this new "basic science. " The goal of this book is to provide primary care physicians with a practical in­ troductory understanding of medical informatics, focusing on areas of importance in primary care. Additionally, we seek to present clinical contexts in which some of the various applications of medical informatics can be applied. The book begins with an overview of medical informatics, based on the inter­ action (interface) between the patient and the primary care physician. Next, we study how this interaction can be documented with electronic medical records, and how information on laboratory data and imaging, originating from other elec­ tronic sources, can be integrated into the electronic medical record. We then cover several areas that concern the content of the information used in primary care. Areas of focus include evidence-based medicine, decision support, knowledge re­ sources, and patient education. Finally, this book concludes with five chapters concerning practical aspects of primary care informatics: workflow, privacy and security, electronic billing, reporting and analysis, and telecommunications.

This series is directed to healthcare professionals who are leading the tra- formation of health care by using information and knowledge. Launched in 1988 as Computers in Health Care, the series offers a broad range of titles: some addressed to specific professions such as nursing, medicine, and health administration; others to special areas of practice such as trauma and radi- ogy. Still other books in the series focus on interdisciplinary issues, such as the computer-based patient record, electronic health records, and networked healthcare systems. Renamed Health Informatics in 1998 to reflect the rapid evolution in the discipline now known as health informatics, the series will continue to add titles that contribute to the evolution of the field. In the series, eminent - perts, serving as editors or authors, offer their accounts of innovations in health informatics. Increasingly, these accounts go beyond hardware and so- ware to address the role of information in influencing the transformation of healthcare delivery systems around the world. The series also increasingly focuses on “peopleware” and the organizational, behavioral, and societal changes that accompany the diffusion of information technology in health services environments.

This book examines the use of state-of-the-art technology to achieve filmless radiology, describing its impact on healthcare systems and providing valuable insights into reengineering healthcare. Sharing expertise developed in implementing Picture Archival and Communications System (PACS) technology capable of supporting filmless radiology, it relates experiences at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), the first site to have a fully operational filmless radiology system. The book will provide an overview of filmless radiology with advice on acquiring PAC systems. Also included are sections on its impact on the practice of radiology and the delivery of health care (filmless radiology is central to teleradiology), clinical uses of computed radiography, technological issues, and case studies from both inside and outside the VA system.

This series is directed to healthcare professionals who are leading the tra- formation of health care by using information and knowledge. Launched in 1988 as Computers in Health Care, the series offers a broad range of titles: some addressed to specific professions such as nursing, medicine, and health administration; others to special areas of practice such as trauma and radiology. Still other books in the series focus on interdisciplinary issues, such as the computer-based patient record, electronic health records, and networked healthcare systems. Renamed Health Informatics in 1998 to reflect the rapid evolution in the discipline now known as health informatics, the series will continue to add titles that contribute to the evolution of the field. In the series, eminent experts, serving as editors or authors, offer their accounts of innovations in health informatics. Increasingly, these accounts go beyond hardware and software to address the role of information in influencing the transformation of healthcare delivery systems around the world. The series also incre- ingly focuses on “peopleware” and the organizational, behavioral, and so- etal changes that accompany the diffusion of information technology in health services environments.