Health Informatics Video Notes - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the Health Informatics video notes.

Health Informatics

Field of information science focused on managing health data and information with computers and technology.

EHR (Electronic Health Record)

Systematized collection of patient and population health information stored electronically.

EMR (Electronic Medical Record)

Electronic record within a single organization, often used interchangeably with EHR in some contexts.

Patient Portals

Web-based access to parts of a patient’s health information and communication with providers.

Patient Management Systems

Software that manages patient information, scheduling, and care processes.

Computer-Assisted Coding (Encoders)

Software that extracts data from dictated or transcribed text to generate ICD-10-CM and CPT codes.

Speech/Voice Recognition

Software that converts spoken language into written text.

Barcoding Technology

System to scan barcodes for data capture in healthcare workflows.

Handwritten Notes

Free-text input that may be digitized later.

Document Image Data

Images of documents stored digitally for retrieval.

Discrete Data

Data that are counted in distinct categories and cannot be meaningfully subdivided.

Structured Data

Organized data in predefined fields suitable for querying.

Medication Orders / MARS

Prescriptions and medication administration records in the chart.

Online Charting

Electronic documentation of patient care in an online chart.

MPV / Registration

Medical record-related patient registration data.

Transcribed Radiology Reports

Radiology reports converted to text from voice or dictation.

Unstructured Data

Free-text data not organized in fixed fields.

Ultrasound / Cardiac Catheterization Images

Imaging studies stored as digital data.

Digital X-rays

Digital radiographic images stored in the system.

Nuclear Medicine / CT / MRI Images

Diagnostic imaging data stored in digital form.

DICOM

Standard for medical imaging data and retrieval.

Diagnostic Image Management System

System that stores and retrieves diagnostic images.

Vector Graphics / Video Graphics / Audio Data

Multimedia data types used in medical records.

Pathology/Histology Images

Digital images of tissue specimens.

ECG / EEG / Fetal Tracings

Electrical signal data for heart/brain monitoring.

Voice Annotations

Narrations attached to data by voice.

Heart Sounds

Auditory data from auscultation saved as signals.

PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems)

Integrated system to store/display digital images.

Telemedicine

Delivery of health services via electronic communications at a distance.

Two-Factor Authentication

Security requiring two verification methods (e.g., password and token) for sensitive actions.

Usability

Overall ease with which users can capture and retrieve data.

Cloud Computing

Using virtualization to access computing resources over the internet.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Cloud-delivered software hosted by a provider.

Redundancy

Two servers/processes handling the same data for reliability.

Firewall

Security devices between networks to protect against intruders.

Virtualization

Emulation of one or more computers within a software platform.

Data Visualization

Graphic representation of data to communicate information.

Histogram

Displays frequency distribution of a continuous numeric variable.

Normal Distribution

Bell-shaped distribution where data cluster around the mean.

Bimodal Distribution

Distribution with two distinct peaks (modes).

Skewness (Left/Right)

Left-skewed (negatively) and right-skewed (positively) distributions.

Bar Graph

Categorical data on the x-axis; bars represent categories.

Histogram vs Bar Graph

Histogram uses continuous data; bar graph uses discrete categories.

Line Plot / Run Chart

Data points over time to show trends.

Control Chart

Chart with upper and lower control limits to monitor process variation.

Boxplot

Summary of min, Q1, median, Q3, max, and outliers.

Scatter Plot / Correlation

Relationship between two quantitative variables; positive/negative/no correlation.

Dashboard

Single display showing multiple data sources for easy reading.

Contingency Table

Two-variable frequency table showing distributions simultaneously.

HL7

Health Level Seven; standards for interoperability of health IT.

MPI (Master Patient Index)

Permanent database with every patient treated/admitted across facilities.

Natural Language Query

Querying data using everyday language rather than code.

Clinical Decision Support (CDS)

Knowledge and patient information to improve health decisions and care delivery.

CPOE (Computerized Provider Order Entry)

Application that accepts physician orders (medications, labs, etc.).

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

Converts images of text into machine-readable text.

DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group)

Weighted classification for hospital episodes used in reimbursement.

Case-Mix Index (CMI)

Weighted average DRG weights representing resource intensity.

ALOS (Average Length of Stay)

Average total inpatient stay per discharged patient.

DRG Weights

Weights assigned to DRGs reflecting resource use.

Hypothesis Test

Statistical test to assess whether a hypothesis about a population is supported by data.

Null Hypothesis (Ho)

Assumes no effect or no association.

Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)

Proposes a real effect or association.

Type I Error

Rejecting a true null hypothesis (false positive).

Type II Error

Failing to reject a false null hypothesis (false negative).

Confidence Interval

Range of values within which the true population parameter is likely to lie.

p-value

Probability of observing data as extreme as the sample if Ho is true.

Simple Linear Regression

Modeling the relationship between one predictor and one outcome.

Normalization

Database design process to reduce redundancy and improve integrity.

API (Application Programming Interface)

Software intermediary enabling applications to communicate.

ASP (Application Service Provider)

Company offering access to applications over the internet.

Record Locator Service

Manages pointers to information stored on servers.

Slicing and Dicing

Selecting data subsets along one or more dimensions.

Data Mining

Analysis to discover trends and patterns in data.

Satisficing

Decision-making to meet an acceptable threshold rather than optimal.

Interrater Reliability

Consistency between different raters/abstractors.

Extranet

Private network allowing authorized access across organizations.

Consumer Informatics

Applying IT to empower individuals to manage their health.

Boolean Search

Search using operators like AND, OR, NOT to refine results.

Algorithm

A set of step-by-step instructions a computer follows to solve a task.

Slicing and Dicing (Data Analysis)

Techniques to extract and view data subsets from a dataset.

DRG Weighting / Case Mix

Systems to categorize hospital care by resource use and mix.

Data Quality Characteristics

Accuracy, Accessibility, Comprehensiveness, Consistency, Currency, Definition, Granularity, Precision, Relevancy, Timeliness.

Siloed

Isolated data or systems that do not communicate with others.

Extranet

Private network enabling access to partner organizations.

Consumer Informatics

Focusing on empowering individuals to manage their health with IT.

DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group) Weights

Numerical weights assigned to DRGs reflecting resource use for reimbursement.

Daily Census

Daily count of inpatients and related admissions/discharges.

Data Analytics

Application of statistical techniques to inform decisions and care quality.

Pay for Performance (P4P)

Programs reimbursing providers based on quality metrics and efficiency.

ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations)

Groups of providers rewarded for quality and cost reductions.

Structured Data

Data expressed in numeric or categorical form.

Unstructured Data

Data not easily expressed in numbers or categories (e.g., clinician notes).

Level of Measurements

Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio scales with distinct properties.

Nominal

Categorical data without natural order (e.g., gender, CPT codes).

Ordinal

Categorical data with natural order (e.g., Likert scales).

Interval

Numeric data with meaningful distances but no true zero (e.g., temperature).

Ratio

Numeric data with a true zero and meaningful multiples (e.g., age, charges).

Normalization (DB)

Process of organizing data to reduce redundancy and improve integrity.

APIs / Data Interoperability

Interfaces enabling different health IT systems to communicate.

Record Locator Service

System managing pointers to information on servers for retrieval.