Health care processes and information systems

Communicable diseases

Can be passed from one person to another indirectly

Non-communicable

Are not contagious, cannot be passed from one person to another

Healthcare

The maintenance or improvement of health via diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease, illness and injuries

eHealth (health IT)

Healthcare practice supported by electronic processes, and information and communication technology

Health informatics

The multidisciplinary field that uses eHealth to improve healthcare. It combines the knowledge and expertise of healthcare, information science and computer science to create ways to manage and generate useful health related information.

Health system

Consists of all organizations, people and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore or maintain health.

Healthcare system

Organization that delivers healthcare

Stakeholder

A party that has an interest in an organizations and can either affect or be affected by the operations.

Primary care

The care a patient receives at the first contact with the health care system, usually involving coordination of care and continuity over time.

Secondary care

Treatment by specialists to whom a patient has been referred by primary care providers

Tertiary care

Treatment given in a health care center that includes highly trained specialists and often advanced technology.

Outpatient

Hospitalized for less than 24 hours

Inpatient

Admitted to hospital and stays overnight or for an indeterminate time

Triage

A preliminary assessment of the urgency of the need of treatment and the nature of treatment. Based on how sick or seriously injured the patients are.

Health informatics

Deals with the resources, devices and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information in healthcare. Tools: computers, clinical quidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems.

Clinical information systems (CIS)

Comprehensive, integrated information system designed to manage all aspects of a medical provider’s practice.

Electronic health record (EHR)

Longitudinal systematic collection of electronic health information for a patient generated by one or more interactions in any care setting. Should be shareable across different healthcare settings to follow patients wherever they go.

Electronic medical record (EMR)

Specifically refers to the digitized version of the paper chart in clinician offices, clinics and hospitals. Notes and information collected by and for the clinicians in that specific office, clinic or hospital setting.

Personal health record (PHR)

Refers to records that are designed to be set up, accessed, managed and controlled by patients in a private, secure and confidential environment.

Interoperability

The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged.

Functional interoperability

Ability to exchange information

Semantic interoperability

Ability to understand the information exchanged.

Clinical terminology standards

Standard sets terms, names and codes to be used when entering data in electronic records

Data protection

Health-related personal data must be protected from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Data security

Risks minimized, collection of means and actions for data security in normal and exceptional conditions.

Data privacy

Personal health information needs to be protected from unauthorized use, access and disclosure.

Privacy

Person’s ability to control the collection, use and dissemination of one’s personal information.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Personal data shall be protected from unauthorized access, illegal processing and loss. The processing of personal data should be “Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which they are processed.”

Beveridge model

UK, Finland, Italy, Spain. Health care is provided “free of charge” to all citizens. Financed by the government through tax payments. Small fees for usage. Tend to be public.

Bismarck model

Germany, Switzerland, Japan. Financed through an insurance system, “Sickness funds”. Jointly by employers and employees through payroll deduction. Have to cover everybody and don’t make profit. Tend to be private.

National health insurance model

Canada. Private-sector providers, payment comes from government-run insurance program that every citizen pays into.

Out of pocket model

Rely on direct payments from people at the time they need care.

(Mixed) health insurance model

USA. Differences between the coverage of insurance and provided care within the population. For-profit insurance systems. Competition between providers.