Unit 1.1 Introduction to Pharmacy Informatics

Informatics

• the application of computer and information sciences to management and processing of data, information, and knowledge

• science concerned with the gathering, manipulation, classification, storage, and retrieval of recorded knowledge

• the techniques and practices used to mange and operate information systems and technology

Pharmacy Informatics

• form of clinical informatics that is applied to the discipline of pharmacy

• the integration and use of knowledge, information, technology, data and automation in the medication-use process (ASHP)

• the scientific field that focuses on medication related data and knowledge within the continuum of healthcare systems — including its acquisition, storage, analysis, use and dissemination in the delivery of optimal medication-related patient care and health outcomes (Health Information and Management System Society

Drug Information

• Primary Literature

• Drug Information Databases

• Internet Resources

• Hospital Information Systems

• Pharmacy Information Systems

• Drug Discovery

• Pharmacogeomics

Patient Information

• Genome

• Proteome

• Individual Patient Characteristics

• Patient Safety

• Evidence-Based Medicine

• Electronic Health Records

Pharmacy Skilis

• literature searching

• understanding databases

• using controlled vocabularies

Data

• meaningless

• Discrete and objective facts about a subject or event

• Easy to capture and store in media

Information

• Data that has relevance and purpose

• has meaning — contextualized, categorized, calculated, corrected, or condensed

Knowledge

combining information with framed experiences, norm, and contextual understanding

Pharmacist-Computer Interactions

primary interaction is directing the software to perform various tasks via the user interface

Interface

a means of transmitting and translating information between entities which do not speak in the same language

User Interface

between human and computer

Software Interface

between 2 computer systems

Client Tier

where user interacts with the system

Application Tier

software stored on the local machine

Database Tier

database tables where information is stored

Operational

• mandate tasks that can be replaced by technology

• label generation, patient billing, batch processing of workload

• can free pharmacist to provide pharmaceutical care

Clinical

• a key area is in improving the pharmacist’s access to information about the patient and their care

• helps pharmacists collect data, filter results, provide decision support, and document clinical pharmacy activities

Administrative

• information tools to be better assign resources, identify opportunities for cost savings, and justify new services

• drug usage reporting, inventory management systems, scheduling systems, portals, workload reporting

Workflow and Process Improvement

• not manually done

• automation has allowed important pharmacy functions to be accomplished by robots and devices

• improved knowledge sharing of clinical guidelines, formularies, and other content

Pharmacy Information Systems (PIS)

complex computer systems that have been designed to meet the needs of a pharmacy department

PIS Functions

• monitor drug interactions, drug allergies, or other possible complications

• manage prescriptions for inpatients and/or outpatients

• assist with inventory management

• maintain profiles of patient medications and allergies

• communicate with other systems

Roles and Responsibilities of Pharmacists in Informatics

1. Information Management

2. Knowledge Delivery

3. Data Analytics

4. Clinical Informatics

5. Change Management

Information Management

managing medication-related information while promoting integration, interoperability, and information exchange

Integration

ability to exchange data in a seamless fashion

Interoperability

ability of 2 or more systems to exchange and predictably use data of information while retaining the original meaning of the data

Knowledge Delivery

delivering medication-related information and knowledge throughout the clinical knowledge life cycle

Data Analytics

applying statistical, reporting, and presentation tools and techniques to healthcare-related data in order to study past situations to improve the quality and efficiency of clinical and business process and performance

Clinical Informatics

applying user experiences, research, and theoretical informatics principles to improve clinical practice and usability

Change Management

leading and participation in the procurement, development, implementation, customization, management, evaluation, and continuous improvement of clinical information

Information Security

reasonable protection from risk of loss, risk of inappropriate access, or doubt regarding authenticity of information

Confidentiality

data is readable only by the intended receipts

Authentication

protection against unauthorized access or forgeries

Nonrepudiation

ensures that someone cannot deny having conducted a transaction

Approaches to Information Security

1. Securing the physical location where severs are stored

2. Backing up data

3. Encryption of patient identifiers

Securing the physical location where severs are stored

security methods: passwords, smartcards, biometrics

Backing up data

• replicating the data in an alternate medium and site: hard drives, CDs, other servers

• essential to protect against natural disasters as well as hardware/software failures

Encryption of patient identifiers

• replacing identifiers with another set of letters/numbers

• technique of de-identifiers