Abstract:
This paper summarizes the author’s point of view of defining medical informatics,
to stimulate further discussions on how this “newly emerging discipline” should further
proceed. We realize that the term “informatics” is related rather to the term “information
science” than to “computer science”. Accordingly, medical informatics deals with the
systematic processing of information in medicine. Many information systems in medicine
are interrelated and can hardly be regarded as independent systems. As a result, medicine
becomes gradually more an “empirical science of extreme complexity”. Because of its
complexity and wide range of applications, medical informatics should be considered
as a separate discipline, its aim being to contribute to the systematic processing
of information in medicine. The contribution of medical informatics should be a better
understanding of the human being and means for the provision of high quality patient
care.
Key-Words:
Medical Informatics - Information Processing
