To foster a better understanding of the field of healthcare informatics, the Bethesda, Md.-based American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has launched a new public education campaign entitled ‘Why Informatics?’ to meet the increased demand for knowledge in healthcare.
With the explosion of data available in health and healthcare, informaticians have been critical to discovering the insights that are accelerating the transformation of healthcare, according to AMIA.
The campaign, which features informatics professionals discussing the impact of their research, is vital to helping define the field at a time of rapid change in healthcare. Informatics has reached a tipping point in its growth, according to Douglas B. Fridsma, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO, AMIA. “Using insights obtained from data throughout health and healthcare is the driving force of informatics and its ability to innovate critical advancements that directly benefit people. We need to share this story widely to continue transforming healthcare,” Fridsma said.
Since the founding of AMIA nearly 30 years ago, the organization has been highlighting the role that informaticians have played in many of the major health discoveries, treatment advances and public health improvements defining today’s health and healthcare. “Informatics is more than collecting and managing data, it is the profession that encompasses the scientific analysis and use of data that helps patients, increases effectiveness, improves safety and reduces care costs,” Fridsma said.
Thomas H. Payne, M.D., chair of AMIA’s board said in a prepared statement, “The campaign is a chance to celebrate our members and explain why this community is committed to a vision where informatics transforms people’s lives. Informatics research and application need to be encouraged at all levels of healthcare and government policy. Helping audiences outside the field to understand informatics and why it can improve health of people and populations is our goal.”
Throughout 2017 and 2018, AMIA plans to use video, social media, data visualizations, advertisements and other original content to feature informatics professionals explaining how their commitment and passion improves health and healthcare as part of the Why Informatics? Campaign.
