Template:Article of the week

Public health informatics has been defined as "the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning." Like other types of informatics, public health informatics is a multidisciplinary field, involving the studies of informatics, computer science, psychology, law, statistics, epidemiology, and microbiology.

In 2000, researcher William A. Yasnoff and his colleagues identified four key aspects that differentiate public health informatics from medical informatics and other informatics specialty areas. Public health informatics focuses on "applications of information science and technology that promote the health of populations as opposed to the health of specific individuals" and that "prevent disease and injury by altering the conditions or the environment that put populations of individuals at risk." It also "explore[s] the potential for prevention at all vulnerable points in the causal chains leading to disease, injury, or disability" and "reflect[s] the governmental context in which public health is practiced." (Full article...)

Recently featured: Health information technology, Clinical decision support system, Medical practice management system