Health informatics is the study and application of methods to improve the management of patient data, clinical knowledge, population data, and other information relevant to patient care and community health. It is a young science, which emerged in the decades after the invention of the digital computer in 1940s. Mechanical computing in medicine had a much earlier origin, in the 19th century. Health informatics is found at the intersection of healthcare and technology. It is where skills in both health and computer sciences come together in an effort to improve medical arena and patient outcomes. Professionals in this field draw on expertise from both disciplines to put technology to its best use in patient care, clinical and research settings The study reflects the multidisciplinary nature of medical informatics, which interacts with various fields, including the clinical sciences, the public health sciences as well as cognitive, computing, and information sciences and services.
