Perspectives on informatics in the health sciences for information professionals
| Date | 14 November 2016 |
| Pages | 226-231 |
| Published date | 14 November 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-07-2016-0020 |
| Author | H. Frank Cervone |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Records management & preservation,Information repositories |
MANAGING DIGITAL: THE VIEW FROM
30,000 FEET
Perspectives on informatics in
the health sciences for
information professionals
H. Frank Cervone
School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Abstract
Purpose – Informatics is a relatively new interdisciplinary eld which is not very well understood outside
of specic disciplinary communities. With a review of the history of informatics and a discussion of the
various branches of informatics related to health-care practice, the paper aims to provide an overview
designed to enhance the understanding of an information professional interested in this eld.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is designed to provide a basic introduction to the topic of
informatics for information professionals unfamiliar with the eld. Using a combination of historical and
current sources, the role of informatics in the health professions is explored through its history and
development.
Findings – The emergence of informatics as a discipline is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Informatics is neither information technology (IT) nor information science but shares many common
interests, concerns and techniques with these other two elds. The role of the informaticist is to
transform data to knowledge and information. Consequently, while the outcomes may be different,
there are many commonalities in informatics with the work information professionals perform.
Originality/value – Most introductions to informatics assume the reader is either an IT professional
or a clinical practitioner in one of the health science elds. This paper takes a unique approach by
positioning the discussion of the history and application of informatics in the health sciences from the
perspective of the information professional.
Keywords Informatics, Biomedical informatics, DIKW framework, Health infomatics,
Medical informatics, Semantic tools
Paper type General review
The emergence of informatics as a discipline is a relatively recent phenomenon even if
the conceptual foundation has been around for quite some time. It was only in 1983 that
Gorn formally dened informatics as the combination of computer science and
information science (Gorn, 1982).
Ofcial descriptions of academic disciplines are dened by the National Center for
Education Statistics through the Classication of Instructional Programs system. In this
classication, informatics is described as:
[…] a program that focuses on computer systems from a user-centered perspective and studies
the structure, behavior and interactions of natural and articial systems that store, process
and communicate information. Includes instruction in information sciences, human computer
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5816.htm
DLP
32,4
226
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.32 No. 4, 2016
pp.226-231
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-07-2016-0020
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