1. Define Public Health Informatics

2. Discuss the role of public health informaticians

3. Explore how public health informatics tools and processes are used to manage and support health – please use an example(s).

4. Examine the policies and regulations that support the movement of data between health care facilities  and health departments. Public Health Informatics Essay Example

Public Health Informatics

The field of public health informatics refers to the use of information, computer science, and technology in a methodical manner in the fields of public health practice, research, and education. The integration of informatics is the primary focus of the field of public health informatics, with the ultimate goal being the discovery of innovative technological approaches to issues relating to public health. The critical role that informatics plays in today’s medical system is difficult to exaggerate because of its direct impact on patients’ lives. Ultimately, the efficacy of public health measures depends on the evidence that backs them up.

For the last three decades and a half, the American Medical Informatics Association has seen a meteoric rise in the use of informatics in the quest to enhance both health and choices pertaining to medical treatment. Public health informatics, which involves gathering, analyzing, and using data to guide treatment choices, benefit countless numbers of individuals. For those in charge of making decisions on public health, having access to data in real-time is very necessary; informatics is at the center of efforts to promote and facilitate information accessibility and transmission.

Role of Public Health Informaticians

The role of the public health informatician is of the utmost importance in the process of improving the public health infrastructure. By using the concepts of information technology, they have contributed to the objective of illness prevention and the promotion of healthy living. The work of health informaticians makes it possible for public health initiatives to fulfill their health objectives in a manner that is meaningful, efficient, and cost-effective. As a result, their role encompasses enhancing population health, facilitating appropriate and efficient monitoring and surveillance, and backing initiatives to expand public health systems.  Public Health Informatics Essay Example

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A public health informatician is a very valuable asset when it comes to maintaining an eye on the overall health of people. Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been an ongoing discussion across all branches of administration on the need to enhance the existing health care infrastructure. Policy changes that have been granted for medical centers have given a step toward making practitioners more responsible for the persons they serve and their health. They are required to undertake illness reporting and evaluation via the respected and accountable organization. It is necessary for the agencies to be able to evaluate and keep track of the health of the people. Through the use of this technology, informaticians are able to track the progression of illnesses like Covid 19 (Kokol et al., 2018). In addition, the Informatician is responsible for keeping track of the drugs that are brought into or taken out of the nation.

Informaticians working in public health contribute to the collaborative effort to share patient information. In recent years, there has been a growing cause for worry in the field of public health due to the fact that there is a hurdle to the exchange of information. The problem was transferring data from clinical to public health settings. Health informaticians convert paper-based records from public health to computer code to make recordkeeping easier (McBride & Tietze, 2015). Informaticians often rely on specialized software to facilitate the exchange of ideas about preventative measures for various illnesses. Since users of the software may readily obtain the data from clinical health, this facilitates easier communication with the public. Additionally, there is software that enables a person to raise concerns directly to a physician and get assistance in a timely manner. Sharing data across public health, the general population, and clinical treatment has been made easier because of technological innovations and social media.

Additionally, public health informaticians have been instrumental in the collection of patient data from a variety of information platforms. A public health informatician has the abilities necessary to gather data on persons and combine those data for storage and future reference. They make use of specialized software that was developed only for health-related issues and may only be accessed by a select group of individuals who have been granted permission (American Nurses Association, 2016). Using this technology also ensures that patients’ privacy is protected, as only those who are authorized to access the information are allowed to do so.  Public Health Informatics Essay Example

How Public Health Informatics Tools and Processes are Used to Manage and Support Health

The primary uses of public health informatics are in the prevention of illness and injury across the entire public as well as the promotion of overall population health. The primary focus of public health informatics is the use of information technology in the processes of data collection, analysis, and intervention. The field of public health informatics has the potential to be one of the most helpful systems in the fight against bioterrorism, epidemics, natural disasters, and disease monitoring (Aziz, 2017). Health information sharing and organization, as well as automated worldwide surveillance and data gathering platforms, might aid in population-level surveillance. This might assist in preventing the potentially devastating effects of a widespread outbreak on a worldwide scale.

In the field of public health, the term “surveillance” refers to the process of gathering, analyzing, and making sense of data that is vital to the reduction of the risk of illness and damage. Using the data that is readily accessible, early identification of outbreaks may be achievable if illness case reports are received, reviewed, and investigated in a timely manner while also being comprehensive (Aziz, 2017). An all-encompassing monitoring effort enables prompt investigations, and it identifies the data requirements that are necessary for coordinating the public health response to a terrorist act or an epidemic.

Globally, governments are improving their disease monitoring systems by using current information technology to create a unified, efficient, and trustworthy illness reporting system. A surveillance system, like a syndromic surveillance system, may gather symptoms and clinical aspects of an undetected illness or health crisis in near real-time, which may suggest the beginning phases of an epidemic or a bioterrorism strike (Aziz, 2017). For example, local public health agencies might notify all of the healthcare personnel working for a health information organization regarding certain instances of a contagious illness that has spread across the population.

The most recent advancements in public health informatics, including geographic information systems, are able to be utilized to offer extensive amounts of data. This technological advancement makes use of digital maps derived from satellite or aerial photography. Because of this, it is possible to combine several types of data, including geographical location, trends, circumstances, and spatial trends (Wang, 2019). Infectious illness, public health catastrophes, and acts of bioterrorism may all be tracked more effectively with the use of geographic information systems and the inclusion of mobile technologies.

Policies and Regulations that Support the Movement of Data between Health Care Facilities and Health Departments

There are a number of policies and regulations at the federal level that control the dissemination of public health information. There are regulations in the Privacy Act of 1974, HIPAA, and the HITECH Act that protect the security and integrity of public health information. In order to verify that they are in compliance with all applicable federal laws and regulations, health information exchanges are required to conduct an exhaustive evaluation of the provisions. Public Health Informatics Essay Example

Under HIPAA, the present government provisions for the privacy and security of PHI have been expanded thanks to the HITECH Act. The requirement to comply with HIPAA, which was initially only placed on covered organizations, is now extended to include public health organizations. In order for public health authorities to effectively carry out their duties, it is necessary for them to be able to access patients’ protected health information. The HIPAA Privacy Rule acknowledges this essential need. Moreover, the Rule acknowledges that public health reports submitted by covered organizations are an essential method for detecting vulnerabilities to the health and safety of individuals in addition to the general population as a whole (Cohen & Mello, 2018). In addition to this, it grants health information exchanges the status of public health stakeholders and gives state attorneys general the authority to implement HIPAA regulations by taking legal action on behalf of individuals who have had their privacy violated.

References

American Nurses Association (2016). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice. American Nurses Association. http://46.101.31.165/sites/default/files/webform/nursing-informatics-scope-and-standards-of-practice-american-nurses-association-pdf-download-free-book-1cffc90.pdf

Aziz, H. A. (2017). A review of the role of public health informatics in healthcare. Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences, 12(1), 78-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2016.08.011

Cohen, I. G., & Mello, M. M. (2018). HIPAA and protecting health information in the 21st century. JAMA, 320(3), 231. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.5630

Kokol, P., Saranto, K., & Blažun Vošner, H. (2018). EHealth and health informatics competences. Kybernetes, 47(5), 1018-1030. https://doi.org/10.1108/k-09-2017-0338

McBride, S., & Tietze, M. (2015). Nursing informatics for the advanced practice nurse. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826124890

Wang, F. (2019). Why public health needs GIS: A methodological overview. Annals of GIS, 26(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475683.2019.1702099

Public Health Informatics Essay Example