1. Computers in Health Care Objective 1
Unit C:
Technology in Medicine
Computers in Health Care
Objective 1

2. How are computers used in healthcare?
McPac
Medical Informatics
Clinical and special purpose systems
Prosthetics and Pharmacy
Administrative applications
Computer-assisted surgery

3. 1. Medical Informatics
Medical Informatics focuses on the acquisition, storage, and use of information in health and biomedicine.

4. Medical Informatics allows health care
professionals and patients to benefit from
what others have done and learned.
It compiles data that can determine trends or patterns of disease processes, diagnostic studies and treatments.
It helps health care workers determine patient care outcomes.

5. Medical Informatics streamlines and improves communication between health care disciplines.
Because of Medical Informatics, medical record keeping on computer allows for easier and quicker access to patient histories.

6. Jobs in Medical Informatics
Jobs in medical informatics are definitely for
people who enjoy using computers.
Examples of Jobs:
Administrative Medical Informatics Specialist
(AKA Registered Health Information Administrator / RHIA)
Health Information Technicians
(AKA Registered Health Information Technicians / RHIT)

7. Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree
Administrative Medical Informatics Specialist (AKA Registered Health Information Administrator / RHIA )
RHIAs work in hospitals, physician offices and outpatient
clinics, long-term care and mental health facilities,
insurance companies, state and government
agencies, home care providers, educational institutions,
health care software companies and other private industry.
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree
Salary Range: $30, $100,000.00

8. Health Information Technicians (AKA Registered Health Information Technicians / RHIT)
The RHT works under the supervision of the RHIA
Education Required: Associate Degrees
Salary Range: $21, $55,000.00

9. 2. Clinical and Special Purpose Systems
Examples of
technology in the
clinical setting:
Computerized Charting

10. Technology in the Clinical Setting
Computerized
Medication
Administration
System

11. Technology in the Clinical Setting
Electronic Patient Monitor

12. Technology in the Clinical Setting
Mobile
Medical
Records

13. Special Purpose Systems
Example:
Coding Systems
created to standardize
medical diagnosis and
terminology. They
are used for medical insurance claims,
research and other special reporting
requirements.

14. 3. Prosthetics and Pharmacy
Computerized
Prosthetic Devices
allows the amputee
greater mobility than
ever before.

15. Prosthetics and Pharmacy
Computers in the pharmacy
assures prescription
accuracy and safety for the
patient.

16. 4. Administrative Applications
Examples:
Scheduling appointments in a doctors office
Computerized billing used by an insurance
clerk or accounting department

17. 5. Computer-Assisted Surgery
also known as Robotic
Surgery is becoming
more popular as
technology improves.

18. Computer-Assisted Surgery
Is proving to be beneficial in several ways:
The robotic hand is steadier and more precise than a human hand
Reducing the amount of time a patient must stay under general anesthesia
Smaller incisions required
Decreasing the amount of time a patient stays in the hospital

19. References
Oregan Health and Science University Department of Medical Informatics and
Clinical Epidemiology
American Medical Informatics Association