From Patient Data to Medical Knowledge

Book excerpt: How can you make the best use of patient data to improve health outcomes? More and more information about patients' health is stored on increasingly interconnected computer systems. But is it shared in ways that help clinicians care for patients? Could it be better used as a resource for researchers? This book is aimed at all those who want to learn about how IT is transforming the way we think about medicine and medical research. The ideas explored here are taken from research carried out around the world, and are presented by a leading authority in Health Informatics based at University College London. This comprehensive guide to the field is split into three sections: What is health informatics? – an introduction Techniques for representing and analysing patient data and medical knowledge Implementation in the clinical setting: changing practice to improve health care outcomes Whether you are a health professional, NHS manager or IT specialist, this book will help you understand how data can be managed to provide the information you and your colleagues want in the most helpful and accessible way for both you and your patients.