Definitions and Quotes

Collection of interesting definitions and quotes.

What is Clinical Informatics: Columbia University definition

Definition: Clinical Informatics is the scientific study of the effective use of information in patient care, clinical research and medical education.
Goals: The ultimate goals of clinical informatics are to streamline the processes of patient care, to provide clinicians with accurate data in a timely manner, improve the quality of care, and to reduce costs.
Users: Users of clinical information systems include physicians, nurses, dentists, technicians, therapists and social workers, as well as patients and consumers.

(Source: Columbia University)

System: a definition: A system is an entity which maintains its existence through the mutual interaction of its parts.
A system exists and operates in time and space.
The concept of Emergence: a definition: From the mutual interaction of the parts of a system there arises characteristics which can not be found as characteristic of any of the individual parts.

(Source: Gene Bellinger, in Mental Model Musings)

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject, and how to avoid them.

(Source: Werner Heisenberg, in Physics and Beyond)

e-Health is the combined use of electronic communication and information technology in the health sector.

(Source: World Health Organization [WHO])