Data, Knowledge and Information Systems

Data

• Data is reinterpretable representations of information or knowledge, in a formalized manner.
• It is suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by humans or machines.
• A set of data put together for transmission and considered a single entity is called a message.

Knowledge

• Knowledge is general information about concepts in a specific scientific or professional domain
• Examples of knowledge are diseases and therapeutic methods.
• Knowledge includes specific information about particular individuals within a domain - for example, patients.

Information System

• An information system is a part of an enterprise that processes and stores data, information, and knowledge.
• An information system is the socio-technical subsystem of an enterprise.
• It includes all information processing and associated human or technical roles.
• "Socio-" refers to the people involved in information processing, such as healthcare professionals, administrative staff, and computer scientists.
• "Technical" refers to information processing tools like computers, telephones, and patient records.
• A computer-supported information system includes computer-based information processing and communication tools.

Component of Information System

• System: A set of persons, things, or events that forms an entity together with their relationships.
  • Natural System: A nervous system, consisting of neurons and their relationships.
  • Man-Made System: A hospital, consisting of staff, patients, relatives and their interactions.
  • Socio-Technical System: Consists of both human and technical components.
• Subsystem: A subset of the components and relationships within a system.
  • Example: The sympathetic nervous system is a subsystem of the nervous system. A ward with its staff and patients is a subsystem of hospitals.

Enterprise

• Enterprise describes what human or machines must do to contribute to its mission and goals
• Examples include patient admission, clinical documentation, and financial controlling.

Activity

• Activity is an instantiation of an enterprise function working on an individual entity.
• Example: "Dr. Domingo admits patient Maria Clara" is an activity of the enterprise function "patient admission."

Application Components

• Application components support enterprise functions and distinguish computer-based from paper-based components.
• Computer-based application components are controlled by application programs, which are adapted software products.

Paper-based Application Components

• Controlled by working plans that describe how people use paper-based physical data.
• Comprises not only paper as the main documentation carrier, but also other nonelectronic documents

Physical Data Processing Components

• Describe the information processing tools that realize computer-based and paper-based application components.
  • Human actors (delivery man).
  • Paper-based physical tools (printed forms, telephones, books, and patient records).
  • Computer systems (terminals, servers, and personal computers).
• Typical examples are computers, printers, telephones, paper-based patient records and blackboards at a ward.

Hospital Information System

• Is the sociotechnical subsystem of a hospital.
• Comprises all information processing and associated human or technical actors in their respective information processing roles
• Goal: sufficiently enable the adequate execution of these functions including economic hospital management, legal and other requirements for patient care.
• Legal requirements concern data protection or reimbursement aspects.

Tasks of Hospital Information System

• To support adequate patient care and associated administration:
  • Make primarily patient information current, provided on time, and at the right location
  • Collect, store, process, and document data correctly and systematically to ensure correct, pertinent, and up-to-date patient information.
  • Knowledge about diseases, side effects, and medication interactions is used to support diagnostics and therapy.
  • Available information should include quality of patient care, performance and cost situation within the hospital

Areas of Hospital Information

• Considerations for hospital information systems:
  • Wards
  • Outpatient units
  • Service units: diagnostic clinical laboratory, radiological department
  • Therapeutic operation room
  • Pharmacy, patient records archive, library, blood bank
  • Hospital administration areas (general administration, patient administration and accounting, technology, economy and supply, human resources).
  • Offices and writing services for clinical report writing

Patient Care and The Web

• Many healthcare organizations offer information on their services on the internet.
• Healthcare professionals and patients can easily inform themselves on available healthcare services and find specialized institutions for their needs.
• There is more and more clinical knowledge available on the internet.
• Several initiatives offer patients the possibility to manage their personal health records on the Internet.
• Rising connectivity of healthcare institutions and rising bandwidth of the Internet allows telemedicine applications
• Telemedicine enables diagnostics and therapy when the patient and healthcare professional are in remote places.

Information Management in Hospitals

• Information management contributes to the hospital's strategic goals.
• It enables efficient patient care and high satisfaction of patients and staff.
• Information management contributes to the hospital's success and ability to compete.