Health care is a complex, highly constrained, high stakes environment that relies heavily on information. The field of medical informatics has evolved to create software solutions that are intended... Show moreHealth care is a complex, highly constrained, high stakes environment that relies heavily on information. The field of medical informatics has evolved to create software solutions that are intended to support the organization, management and use of health care information. Medical informatics applications include patient care, teaching, research and health care administration from the patient record up through unit, departmental and hospital schedules and reports. Such products and systems typically seek to make the most of current technology. However, their implementation frequently shows little regard for the way people work. This IPRO will scope the field of medical informatics. This will call on team members to: (a) review reports, articles and products to describe the current state of the art; (b) pose crucial questions regarding met and unmet needs; and (c) reach conclusions regarding the future of health care and address the implications for how informatics needs to evolve. Information technology in health care spans all departments of the organization. Team members will need to grasp the complex relationships among all health care departments and disciplines. This will require an awareness of medical practice, law, business, human behavior, software and information systems. The project will be challenging for any IIT undergraduate or graduate student. Degree areas that are expected to have a particular interest in this project include computer science, psychology, design, and business. Show less
