1. What is informatics?
 Informatics is “the science and art of turning data into
information.” (Hebda, 2013).

2. The building blocks of an informatics
infrastructure are:
 Standardized terminologies and structures
 Digital sources of evidence
 Standards that facilitate healthcare data exchange
 Informatics processes that support the acquisition and
application of evidence to a specific clinical situation
 Informatics competencies
(Bakken, 2001).
Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

3. Standardized terminologies and structures
 “Structured and controlled languages that have been
developed according to terminology development
guidelines and have been approved by an authoritative
body.” (Hebda, 2013).
 This allows for information sharing between different
applications.
 “The adoption of EHRs implemented with standardized
terminology is proving to be a positive effect on the
improvement of healthcare quality, efficiency, and patient
safety.” (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 2009).

4. Data exchange standards
 Support the communication among computer- based
systems to bring together patient data and decision logic.
 Facilitate the delivery of tailored health-related messages
based on patient-specific data.
 Support aggregation of data across time and geography to
link process to outcomes (Bakken 2001).
 In the past, data retrieval was primarily performed for use
within a single institution.
 Changes in the healthcare delivery system now mandate
exchange of client information between institutions
(Hebda 2013)

5. Data exchange standards
 Health Level Seven International (HL7), an ANSI-
accredited (standards developing organization (SDO), is
the global authority on standards for interoperability of
health information technology.
 HL7 does not develop software. It creates standards that
allow healthcare information to be communicated across
and between healthcare enterprises and communities.
 HL7 standards facilitate the exchange of clinical and
administrative data among health information systems
(Health Level Seven International 2007-2012).

6. Data exchange standards
 HL7 provides a comprehensive framework and related
standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and
retrieval of electronic health information that supports
clinical practice and the management, delivery, and
evaluation of health services (Health Level Seven
International 2007-2012).

7. Informatics processes that support the
acquisition and application of evidence to a
specific clinical situation
 Integrate and link heterogeneous sources of evidence.
 Present clinician alerts related to potential adverse events.
 Use decision analytic techniques to tailor evidence to
specific patients.
 Perform data modeling and aggregation in clinical data
repositories.
 Perform data mining (Bakken 2001).

8. Informatics Competencies
 www.tigersummit.com/.../3.Tiger.Report_Competenc
ies_final.pdf

9. Informatics Competencies

10. Informatics Competancies