Journal of Health & Medical Informatics

The field of healthcare has seen significant advancements in recent years, driven in large part by technology. One of the most transformative developments in healthcare technology has been the rise of telemedicine, which involves the delivery of healthcare services remotely using telecommunications technology. Telemedicine has not only expanded access to healthcare but has also played a crucial role in shaping the future of healthcare informatics. Healthcare informatics encompasses the management and use of healthcare information and data to improve patient care, outcomes, and the overall functioning of the healthcare system. In this essay, we will explore the role of telemedicine in healthcare informatics, focusing on its impact on healthcare delivery, data management, and the potential challenges and opportunities it presents for the future.

Health informatics is a rapidly evolving field that leverages technology and data to improve healthcare outcomes and delivery. As the healthcare industry becomes increasingly data-driven, the ethical considerations surrounding health informatics have come to the forefront. This essay delves into three crucial ethical dimensions of health informatics: privacy, consent, and data ownership. We explore the significance of these considerations, the challenges they present, and the evolving landscape of ethical frameworks and regulations. Privacy is a fundamental ethical concern in health informatics. It encompasses the protection of an individual's personal information and their right to control who has access to their health data. The explosion of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), telemedicine, wearables, and health apps has raised concerns about the security and privacy of health-related data. Several aspects of privacy in health informatics deserve careful.

Health informatics is a dynamic and evolving field that combines healthcare, information technology, and data analysis to improve patient care, streamline healthcare operations, and enhance medical research. Within this broad domain, one of the most promising applications is the integration of artificial intelligence for clinical decision support. AI, with its ability to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make predictions, has the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare professionals make decisions and manage patient care. In this article, we will explore how AI is being leveraged for clinical decision support in health informatics, its benefits, challenges, and the future of this transformative technology.

The healthcare industry has been undergoing a transformative shift in recent years with the widespread adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and the digitization of medical data. These changes have opened up new opportunities for improving patient care, reducing costs, and advancing medical research. One of the critical components in this transformation is Health Information Exchange (HIE), which allows the seamless sharing of patient data among different healthcare providers and systems. However, despite the potential benefits, there are significant challenges when it comes to interoperability and standardization in health information exchange. This article delves into the complexities and issues surrounding HIE interoperability and standardization, offering insights into the current state of affairs and potential solutions.

Background: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are increasingly adopted worldwide, but evidence of their effects on medication dispensing efficiency is limited, particularly in non-Western healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of an EHR system on medication dispensing time in a hospital pharmacy in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post study design was used to compare medication dispensing times before and after EHR implementation across seven inpatient departments in Buraydah Central Hospital. Timestamp data on 5,110 medication dispensing instances were extracted from the pharmacy records.

Results: EHR implementation led to statistically significant reductions in overall mean dispensing times (by 25.8%, from 90.9 minutes to 67.5 minutes, p<0.001) and within each department (by 16.3% – 49.1%, p<0.001).

Conclusion: This study provides quantitative evidence that introducing the use of EHRs substantially improved the medication dispensing efficiency in a Saudi Arabian hospital pharmacy. Further research should assess the long-term impacts of the use of EHRs across multiple sites.