Health Information Systems - 9781605669885

Underlying the future of human health are the many rapidly evolving means of storing information and communicating, and the many facets of the technologies as well as the impact on individuals and organizations of these technologies comprise the field of health information systems (HIS). The four volumes of this reference are supported by unlimited online access to the contents (for the life of the edition), thus combining the best features of print and electronic formats for researchers, students, and practitioners involved with any of the myriad aspects of HIS. Arrangement is in eight sections encompassing, broadly, fundamental concepts and theories, development and design methodologies, tools and technologies, utilization and application, organizational and social implications, managerial impact, critical issues, and emerging trends. A small sampling of specific articles indicates the wide scope: the entangled processes of evaluating healthcare IT and understanding the work of healthcare; nurses and telehealth; a distributed e-healthcare system; capturing patient consent in pervasive healthcare applications; physicians' perspectives on managing mobile healthcare knowledge; an organizing vision for electronic medical records; informatics application challenges for managed care organizations; and economic efficiency and the Canadian health care system. A number of articles are case studies of activities in particular countries. Drawing on the considerable depth and breadth of his own involvement with the field, editor Rodrigues (U. of Beira Interior, Portugal) oversaw the creation of this seminal reference, shepherding a long list of contributors and editorial staff. Medical Information Science Reference is an imprint of IGI Global. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)