Book Summary:
Faced with the growing complexity of medicine, medical computing appears as an indispensible integrating element, be it for the management, the sharing, ot the communication of medical data and knowledge. This work presents both the methodology and the applications of this technology. Hardware and software tools for managing medical information, as well as the medical information itself (data types, reasoning, semantics) are developed in the initial chapters. The various application spheres are explored next: data- and knowledge-bases, hospital information systems, computerized medical records, signal and image processing, expert systems and decision-making tools, installing information systems in medical practices, and computer-based training. The concluding chapters discuss the problems involved in evaluating medical activity and protecting medical data. This clear and concise expose includes a glossary of the principle technical terms used in information technology and reviews of probability theory and logic. A perfect companion volume to INTRODUCTION TO NURSING INFORMATICS by Ball and Hannah, it is designed for students in medicine, pharmacology and odontology, as well as the practical implementations of information technology in the field of health. |