Healthcare Information Technology
Healthcare Information Technology
Healthcare Information Technology (pronounced: health-care in-for-ma-tion tech-nol-o-gy), often abbreviated as HIT, is the area of IT involving the design, development, creation, use and maintenance of information systems for the healthcare industry. Automated and interoperable healthcare information systems are expected to improve medical care, lower costs, increase efficiency, reduce error and improve patient satisfaction, while also optimizing reimbursement for ambulatory and inpatient healthcare providers.
Etymology
The term Healthcare Information Technology is a combination of 'healthcare', 'information', and 'technology'. 'Healthcare' (from Old English hǣlth, of Germanic origin; related to whole) refers to the organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community. 'Information' (from Latin informatio(n-), from the verb informare) refers to facts provided or learned about something or someone. 'Technology' (from Greek tekhnologia, from tekhnē 'art, craft' + -logia) refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
Related Terms
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs): These are digital versions of patients' paper charts. They are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.
- Health Information Exchange (HIE): This is the mobilization of health care information electronically across organizations within a region, community or hospital system.
- Telemedicine: This is the use of telecommunication and information technology to provide clinical health care from a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities.
- mHealth: This is an abbreviation for mobile health, a term used for the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices.
- Health IT Standards: These are agreed-upon specifications for interoperability, data formats, and communication protocols in healthcare IT systems.
- Healthcare Analytics: This refers to the branch of analysis that focuses on offering insights into hospital management, patient records, costs, diagnoses, and more.
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